"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 not a lot that you can do in this van,
With these fine young boys.
Stuck in confined spaces,
The pram has only so many toys.
You fall in love with girls in hi-viz jackets,
Girls in their golf carts.
Welly-tans and sunglasses,
But it's over before it starts.
In a field in Texas,
Under the welcome rain,
Pulled from the deepening quicksand,
By an angel and his chain.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away,
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
Now we're clacking at computers,
In the sickly light they throw.
All jonesing for wi-fi,
So we can steal more tv shows.
Watching a 6 year old on YouTube,
Playing drums to Billie Jean.
Now this is the stuff that binds us,
This and all those dairy creams.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away.
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
We're heading home, airport screening,
Man has his rubber gloves on.
He says there's explosive residue on the strings of my guitar?
Well that will be six weeks of sweat now,
In a pop-rock combo.
Why don't you come and join us?
You can take all the solos?
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away,
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
With these fine young boys.
Stuck in confined spaces,
The pram has only so many toys.
You fall in love with girls in hi-viz jackets,
Girls in their golf carts.
Welly-tans and sunglasses,
But it's over before it starts.
In a field in Texas,
Under the welcome rain,
Pulled from the deepening quicksand,
By an angel and his chain.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away,
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
Now we're clacking at computers,
In the sickly light they throw.
All jonesing for wi-fi,
So we can steal more tv shows.
Watching a 6 year old on YouTube,
Playing drums to Billie Jean.
Now this is the stuff that binds us,
This and all those dairy creams.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away.
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
I'll be your velcro.
We're heading home, airport screening,
Man has his rubber gloves on.
He says there's explosive residue on the strings of my guitar?
Well that will be six weeks of sweat now,
In a pop-rock combo.
Why don't you come and join us?
You can take all the solos?
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll be your positive.
You'll be my negative.
I'll be your tongue.
You'll be my groove.
I'll drive the get away,
And you bring the glue.
I'll be your velcro.
Lyrics submitted by niteflite01
Velcro Lyrics as written by Dominic Michael Phillips Dave Brian Geraghty
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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,
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.
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.
This song is a classic "road song". That is, a song about being on tour.