"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.
Intro:
I don't want a lot,I want just enough
So why has it got to be so damn TOUGH
Livin' on the uptown side of jive
Hustlin' a buck to stay alive
Lookin' for a ten and they give your five
Well it's tough
You talk to the boss,the boss is gruff
You ask for a raise and they call your bluff
You may get some,but it's never enough
Because it's tough
STRONG:Like a magnum force
ROUGH:Like a new divorce
MEAN:Like a three-time loser
BAD:Like an L.A. cruiser
DOWN:Like a limousine
BLIND:Like a submarine
HARD:Like cold concrete
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
You hit the street and you look for work
You don't want to be some welfare jerk
But I wonder how you get to be Captain Kirk
It's tough
Now Kirk has a ship called the Enterprise
He cuts the aliens down to size
But I wonder what he'd do with the uptown guys
They're tough
TOUGH:
Try to get some cash
When you're looking for a raise and they give you trash
ROUGH:
When you got it like that
And your woman's running 'round with a baseball bat
HARD:
Try to play it cool when the girl's all know you're an out of work fool
TOUGH:
How it seems to be,wish I had somebody lookin' out for me
Try to find a lover if you dare
Even if you do she just won't care
Well no one ever said that that life is fair
Because it's tough
Saw a fine young lady the other day
I started my rap,I had a lot to say
But she said she was goin' with a C.P.A.
Now it's tough
STRONG:Like a superhero
ROUGH:Like a bank book zero
MEAN:Like the Oakland Raiders
BAD:Like the Caped Crusaders
DOWN:Like a homerun ball
BLIND:Like an umpire's call
HARD:Like a cruel deceit
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
You worked all year to buy a brand new car
A Coupe de Ville or a Jaguar
But you didn't make enough for a good cigar
Because it's tough
So you went to the bank to try to get a loan
But the guy behind the desk had a heart os stone
He said "You don't need a car,use the telephone!"
It's tough
TOUGH:
It's a way of life,lost your job
Your money,but not your wife
ROUGH:
Gettin' in the black,Uncle Sam's in your pocket
And your woman's on your back
HARD:
That's the deal,had to get a loan just to buy a meal
TOUGH:
That's how it goes,when it's gettin' better,nobody knows
STRONG:Like Chocolate Thunder
ROUGH:Like Stevie Wonder
MEAN:Like Brucie The Shark
BAD:Like the Raider's Ark
DOWN:Like Sugar's Glove
BLIND:Like a man in love
HARD:Like a big defeat
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
TOUGH:That's the word,unemployment is all I heard
ROUGH:When you start your day,watch the finance man tow your car away
HARD:To hold a job when you've been replaced by a little blue knob
TOUGH:Like a dollar steak,ain't someone ever gonna give me a break
Tough.....
I don't want a lot,I want just enough
So why has it got to be so damn TOUGH
Livin' on the uptown side of jive
Hustlin' a buck to stay alive
Lookin' for a ten and they give your five
Well it's tough
You talk to the boss,the boss is gruff
You ask for a raise and they call your bluff
You may get some,but it's never enough
Because it's tough
STRONG:Like a magnum force
ROUGH:Like a new divorce
MEAN:Like a three-time loser
BAD:Like an L.A. cruiser
DOWN:Like a limousine
BLIND:Like a submarine
HARD:Like cold concrete
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
You hit the street and you look for work
You don't want to be some welfare jerk
But I wonder how you get to be Captain Kirk
It's tough
Now Kirk has a ship called the Enterprise
He cuts the aliens down to size
But I wonder what he'd do with the uptown guys
They're tough
TOUGH:
Try to get some cash
When you're looking for a raise and they give you trash
ROUGH:
When you got it like that
And your woman's running 'round with a baseball bat
HARD:
Try to play it cool when the girl's all know you're an out of work fool
TOUGH:
How it seems to be,wish I had somebody lookin' out for me
Try to find a lover if you dare
Even if you do she just won't care
Well no one ever said that that life is fair
Because it's tough
Saw a fine young lady the other day
I started my rap,I had a lot to say
But she said she was goin' with a C.P.A.
Now it's tough
STRONG:Like a superhero
ROUGH:Like a bank book zero
MEAN:Like the Oakland Raiders
BAD:Like the Caped Crusaders
DOWN:Like a homerun ball
BLIND:Like an umpire's call
HARD:Like a cruel deceit
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
You worked all year to buy a brand new car
A Coupe de Ville or a Jaguar
But you didn't make enough for a good cigar
Because it's tough
So you went to the bank to try to get a loan
But the guy behind the desk had a heart os stone
He said "You don't need a car,use the telephone!"
It's tough
TOUGH:
It's a way of life,lost your job
Your money,but not your wife
ROUGH:
Gettin' in the black,Uncle Sam's in your pocket
And your woman's on your back
HARD:
That's the deal,had to get a loan just to buy a meal
TOUGH:
That's how it goes,when it's gettin' better,nobody knows
STRONG:Like Chocolate Thunder
ROUGH:Like Stevie Wonder
MEAN:Like Brucie The Shark
BAD:Like the Raider's Ark
DOWN:Like Sugar's Glove
BLIND:Like a man in love
HARD:Like a big defeat
TOUGH:That's the rhythm of the beat
TOUGH:That's the word,unemployment is all I heard
ROUGH:When you start your day,watch the finance man tow your car away
HARD:To hold a job when you've been replaced by a little blue knob
TOUGH:Like a dollar steak,ain't someone ever gonna give me a break
Tough.....
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Tough Lyrics as written by Bill Smith
Lyrics © MUSIC MANAGEMENT, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing 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
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,
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.
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/
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.