"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 see a little bit of you in everyone I talk to
I'm over you, I promise that we're through
But there's parts I always think back to
The nights we spent together at my place
We never let a second go to waste
It wasn't suppose to happen but it did
When you finally pulled me in and you said
'You're not just a friend but something more
If i'm being too much you can show me the door'
That's when it started, I could see it in your eyes
That it was i'll see you later, no more goodbyes
Nothing good lasts forever, I should have known
We were happy together but nothing set in stone
Moving too fast is a flaw that'll probably never leave me
Like you did when you relized it and firmly agreed with me
It killed me when those words slipped from your tounge
We can still be friends it was over, I was so young
I didn't understand, part of me still doesn't
In my head it was perfect, in reality it wasn't
To this day I wonder about you
I wonder how many girls you've been through
I wonder if you ever think about me too
I'm alright, sleeping alone all night
Maybe i'll never get this right
I'm over you, I promise that we're through
But there's parts I always think back to
The nights we spent together at my place
We never let a second go to waste
It wasn't suppose to happen but it did
When you finally pulled me in and you said
'You're not just a friend but something more
If i'm being too much you can show me the door'
That's when it started, I could see it in your eyes
That it was i'll see you later, no more goodbyes
Nothing good lasts forever, I should have known
We were happy together but nothing set in stone
Moving too fast is a flaw that'll probably never leave me
Like you did when you relized it and firmly agreed with me
It killed me when those words slipped from your tounge
We can still be friends it was over, I was so young
I didn't understand, part of me still doesn't
In my head it was perfect, in reality it wasn't
To this day I wonder about you
I wonder how many girls you've been through
I wonder if you ever think about me too
I'm alright, sleeping alone all night
Maybe i'll never get this right
Lyrics submitted by MELLIVONKAY
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
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
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.