"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.
(Ready?)
One, two, three, four
This is it, here I stand
I'm the light of the world
I'll feel grand
Got this love, I can feel
And I know, yes for sure
It is real
And it feels as though I've seen your face a thousand times
And you said you really know me too yourself
And I know that you have got addicted with your eyes
But you say you're gonna leave it for yourself
Oh
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, babe, just understand
This is it
I can say
I'm the light of the world
Run away
We can feel
This is real
Every time I'm in love that I heal
And I feel as though I've known you since a thousand years
And you tell me that you've seen my face before
And you said to me you don't want me hanging around
Many times, wanna do it here before
Oh yeah
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, babe, just understand
This is it
I can feel
I'm the light of the world
This is real
Feel my song
We can say
And I tell you can lead that way
And I feel as though I've known you for a thousand years
And you said you saw my face yourself
And you said want to go with me all the while
And I know that it's really for myself
Oh yeah
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, please, dear understand (understand)
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, dear, please understand
One, two, three, four
This is it, here I stand
I'm the light of the world
I'll feel grand
Got this love, I can feel
And I know, yes for sure
It is real
And it feels as though I've seen your face a thousand times
And you said you really know me too yourself
And I know that you have got addicted with your eyes
But you say you're gonna leave it for yourself
Oh
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, babe, just understand
This is it
I can say
I'm the light of the world
Run away
We can feel
This is real
Every time I'm in love that I heal
And I feel as though I've known you since a thousand years
And you tell me that you've seen my face before
And you said to me you don't want me hanging around
Many times, wanna do it here before
Oh yeah
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, babe, just understand
This is it
I can feel
I'm the light of the world
This is real
Feel my song
We can say
And I tell you can lead that way
And I feel as though I've known you for a thousand years
And you said you saw my face yourself
And you said want to go with me all the while
And I know that it's really for myself
Oh yeah
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, please, dear understand (understand)
I never heard a single word about you
Falling in love wasn't my plan (my plan)
I never thought that I would be your lover
Come on, dear, please understand
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I like this song so much, but I heard about all the hoopla over it. Gosh, it kind of ruins the song.