"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.
Picture yourself
Set up for good in a whole other life
In the mystery zone
Make us a house
Some far away town
Where nobody will know us well
Where your dad's not around
And all the trouble you look for all your life
You will find it for sure
In the mystery zone
Times that we met
Before we met
Times that we met
We'll go there
To the mystery zone
Ah the mystery zone
There goes the rider
At gates of dawn
He takes no prisoners at all
He'll be there on his own
What gets him gone
Off down that road
Is something he don't understand
Ooh! The mystery zone
Maybe all he wants
Maybe all he needs
Is to know that the sun don't set
On the mystery zone
How come it feels so familiar
When you never been there?
How come it seems so unreachable
You never tried to find
Never tired to find the mystery zone
Mystery zone, oooh!
All of the people
You used to run into but never do now
They took off for the mystery zone
And when you know love
When you find it for real
It contains the emotion sense of
Everyone ready
Your cover was blown
You weren't there but you were
Ooh in the mystery zone
You weren't there but you were
You weren't there but you were
Openin' windows
Doors never close it's the fresh air fiend
It's the information troll
We'll pack a bag
Sendin' it off just some things that never fit right
To the m
And we'll send it ahead as a test so we'll know
Call it up when it gets there
"What's it like in the mystery zone?"
The times that we met
Before we met
We'll go back there
Oh, times that we met
We'll go back
We'll go back there
The mystery zone
To the mystery zone
The mystery zone
Oh the mys
Set up for good in a whole other life
In the mystery zone
Make us a house
Some far away town
Where nobody will know us well
Where your dad's not around
And all the trouble you look for all your life
You will find it for sure
In the mystery zone
Times that we met
Before we met
Times that we met
We'll go there
To the mystery zone
Ah the mystery zone
There goes the rider
At gates of dawn
He takes no prisoners at all
He'll be there on his own
What gets him gone
Off down that road
Is something he don't understand
Ooh! The mystery zone
Maybe all he wants
Maybe all he needs
Is to know that the sun don't set
On the mystery zone
How come it feels so familiar
When you never been there?
How come it seems so unreachable
You never tried to find
Never tired to find the mystery zone
Mystery zone, oooh!
All of the people
You used to run into but never do now
They took off for the mystery zone
And when you know love
When you find it for real
It contains the emotion sense of
Everyone ready
Your cover was blown
You weren't there but you were
Ooh in the mystery zone
You weren't there but you were
You weren't there but you were
Openin' windows
Doors never close it's the fresh air fiend
It's the information troll
We'll pack a bag
Sendin' it off just some things that never fit right
To the m
And we'll send it ahead as a test so we'll know
Call it up when it gets there
"What's it like in the mystery zone?"
The times that we met
Before we met
We'll go back there
Oh, times that we met
We'll go back
We'll go back there
The mystery zone
To the mystery zone
The mystery zone
Oh the mys
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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.
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,
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/
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.
love this track!
I think it's about love and the emotions that go with it and how people do things without really knowing why. We all view love in certain ways, and see picture perfect scenarios that may not be real but we want to try and make them real and try to find the ones who will make that real.
I love the line:
"where your Dad's not around and all the trouble you look for all your life you will find it for sure"
"Times that we met before we met"
"How come it feels so familiar when you've never been there" ...speaks for itself. it's like a nostalgic feeling.
Awesome track!!
"? will die" = "at gates of dawn" I believe.