"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.
I lay down, I can't sleep
My mind drums on repeat
I stare at the ceiling from my side
I reach out, you're right there
But you're lost in the details
I wait for the end of a long night
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
Just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need you more than you know now
We play like we don't know
We both lie but we don't show
That something is changing between us
We start out in one lane, the same road
The same name but something we can't see divides us
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
We just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need you more than you know now
'Cause I need you more than you know now
'Cause I need you more than you know now
Don't run away 'cause I need you more than you know now
Don't run away, don't run away, don't run away
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
We just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need this more than ever
'Cause I need you more than you know now
My mind drums on repeat
I stare at the ceiling from my side
I reach out, you're right there
But you're lost in the details
I wait for the end of a long night
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
Just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need you more than you know now
We play like we don't know
We both lie but we don't show
That something is changing between us
We start out in one lane, the same road
The same name but something we can't see divides us
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
We just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need you more than you know now
'Cause I need you more than you know now
'Cause I need you more than you know now
Don't run away 'cause I need you more than you know now
Don't run away, don't run away, don't run away
You can blame it on the changes
I can take it any way it is
We just got lost but we both found
We need this more than ever
Can we take it? Can we save it?
Sink our teeth in, tear away at it
Can we hold out? Can you hold on?
'Cause I need this more than ever
'Cause I need you more than you know now
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I think it's about a relationship with both people changing and both of them going on different roads. They still have feelings for each other but are asking themselves if they should save their relationship or go on a break. The narrator (or singer) feels that they can ride out whatever phase they are going through and they have to stick together in order to do so.