"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.
There's a house fly swimmin' in my sweet tea
Hey darlin' pass another Kerr jar to me
Butter drippin' off a biscuit, baby better take a bite
Cantaloupe thumps like it's finally ripe
Box fan on a lawn chair suckin' in swamp air
Two hundred mile marker signs from nowhere
That's what country is
It ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mall
It's a hide away bed in an old horse stall
Two kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kiss
It ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cotton
It's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgotten
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
That's what country is
When the sun starts slippin' from the delta sky
And the last scarecrow tucks in for the night
Make a fire throw a blanket on the sandy bank
'Bout an hour 'till we feel the first catfish yank
Barefoot cane pole wavin' at the riverboats
And when they're gone take a dip in the moon glow
That's what country is
It ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mall
It's a hide away bed in an old horse stall
Two kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kiss
It ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cotton
It's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgotten
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
That's what country is
It ain't a jacked up truck that's never seen a pasture
It's cars pulling over for a no-cab tractor
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
No, it can't be bought it's somethin' you're born with
That's what country is
That's what country is
That's what country is
That's what country is
Hey darlin' pass another Kerr jar to me
Butter drippin' off a biscuit, baby better take a bite
Cantaloupe thumps like it's finally ripe
Box fan on a lawn chair suckin' in swamp air
Two hundred mile marker signs from nowhere
That's what country is
It ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mall
It's a hide away bed in an old horse stall
Two kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kiss
It ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cotton
It's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgotten
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
That's what country is
When the sun starts slippin' from the delta sky
And the last scarecrow tucks in for the night
Make a fire throw a blanket on the sandy bank
'Bout an hour 'till we feel the first catfish yank
Barefoot cane pole wavin' at the riverboats
And when they're gone take a dip in the moon glow
That's what country is
It ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mall
It's a hide away bed in an old horse stall
Two kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kiss
It ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cotton
It's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgotten
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
That's what country is
It ain't a jacked up truck that's never seen a pasture
It's cars pulling over for a no-cab tractor
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
No, it can't be bought it's somethin' you're born with
That's what country is
That's what country is
That's what country is
That's what country is
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
what is "A boones farm kiss"
A brand of wine.
Love this song! <3
I finally understand what the line, "it's a Jimmie Rodgers song that what was long forgotten," means. Jimmy Rodgers was one of the first real country stars, whose career and life was cut short from tuberculosis. He was way back in the 20s and 30s and the fact that was so long ago along with his tragically short career makes it rather poignant that Bryan mentions him in this song, because Jimmie Rodgers at one time WAS country.
Great song overall