"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 don't wanna say what I got on my mind 'cause nothing tonight wants to
Come out on time, the truth is I'd rather sit out and unwind
Let somebody else tell their story this time
I wonder what happened to give me the right to step on a platform and pick
Up a mic, & tell you the way to be living your life, 'cause all my
Credentials were lies
You've had your say, now take your seat, I know my place, you don't know me
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
I waited too long, letting people like you tell me what they want and what I
Shouldn't do, so mark me with words, but you can't tie my hands, there's
Nothing I'll say to make you understand
I know who I am, I know where I'll end up in flames and that's fine, 'cause
I'm finally fed up, stick with what I started, don't care how it hurts, the
Loudest get shot, at the worst
You've had your say, now take your seat, I know my place, you don't know me
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
You know I'll never fold like you're the authority, I won't throw my hands
Up like you're the authority, You know I'll never fold like you're the
Authority, I won't throw my hands up like you're the authority
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
Come out on time, the truth is I'd rather sit out and unwind
Let somebody else tell their story this time
I wonder what happened to give me the right to step on a platform and pick
Up a mic, & tell you the way to be living your life, 'cause all my
Credentials were lies
You've had your say, now take your seat, I know my place, you don't know me
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
I waited too long, letting people like you tell me what they want and what I
Shouldn't do, so mark me with words, but you can't tie my hands, there's
Nothing I'll say to make you understand
I know who I am, I know where I'll end up in flames and that's fine, 'cause
I'm finally fed up, stick with what I started, don't care how it hurts, the
Loudest get shot, at the worst
You've had your say, now take your seat, I know my place, you don't know me
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
You know I'll never fold like you're the authority, I won't throw my hands
Up like you're the authority, You know I'll never fold like you're the
Authority, I won't throw my hands up like you're the authority
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
I'll probably end up in flames before the end of the night, watch me burn
In the fire, watch me bid you goodbye, Your words fall right off the page,
Like they fall on deaf ears, You know that it's over, nothing left for you
Here (Nothing left for you here)
Lyrics submitted by invisiboy42293
Up in Flames Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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I think it's about a person who has harmful habits and knows that...she/he knows that her/his attitude isn't right and that she/he will end up in flames but maybe he/she is tired of people who only make her/him noticed this without helping her/him..
Honestly, I see this as a theme song for politicians. Y'know, the ones who promise all these things but then make up outrageous excuses as to why they can't keep their word.