"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Baby I`m slowing down myself
Baby I`m slowing myself down
I want the water to be rough for me
I want the water to be rough for me
Because then I might learn something
Maybe we should slow this down
Make some plans not so lost and found
Don`t you want it to be rough for me?
Oh I know, we`re just the passengers,
Straining to see.
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I can`t take it no more, I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it anymore (take it anymore with you)
I don`t believe it
Don`t believe it`s true ohh
I don`t believe it
Don`t believe it`s true
I can`t take it no more, I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it anymore (take it anymore with you)
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
Baby I`m slowing myself down
I want the water to be rough for me
I want the water to be rough for me
Because then I might learn something
Maybe we should slow this down
Make some plans not so lost and found
Don`t you want it to be rough for me?
Oh I know, we`re just the passengers,
Straining to see.
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I can`t take it no more, I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it anymore (take it anymore with you)
I don`t believe it
Don`t believe it`s true ohh
I don`t believe it
Don`t believe it`s true
I can`t take it no more, I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it no more
I can`t take it anymore (take it anymore with you)
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
I wanna be the one you`re running to ohhh
Lyrics submitted by TheDirge
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.