"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.
Seek out the light between
Time and confusion glowing up ahead
Instead of slipping through
You bit off more, much more than you could chew
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down
We had a lot to learn
Table manners and grace, how to wait your turn
When time came to clear your slate
You had too much, had too much on your plate
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready now
Slow down
Take your medicine and crawl before you walk
Think it through before you open your mouth to talk
Be an advocate of joy
Find your little heart's desire
And follow it
Whoa, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down
Baby, you're not ready
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready now
Slow down
No no, no no
Don't be afraid
This is your year
It's gonna be all right
You're a performer
Just take your time
But not too much time
No no, no no
Time and confusion glowing up ahead
Instead of slipping through
You bit off more, much more than you could chew
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down
We had a lot to learn
Table manners and grace, how to wait your turn
When time came to clear your slate
You had too much, had too much on your plate
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready now
Slow down
Take your medicine and crawl before you walk
Think it through before you open your mouth to talk
Be an advocate of joy
Find your little heart's desire
And follow it
Whoa, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down
Baby, you're not ready
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready
Slow down and take the time to evolve
You could not swallow it
No, baby you're not ready now
Slow down
No no, no no
Don't be afraid
This is your year
It's gonna be all right
You're a performer
Just take your time
But not too much time
No no, no no
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Could be a song about a performer trying to succeed. Maybe a song of encouragement: don't be afraid, this is your year, you're gonna be alright, you're a performer. Kind of saying, keep doing what you're doing, you'll make it! I don't know, this is how I see it.