"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.
When love's in vain, love can be so strange
There ain't nothing I can take to kill this pain
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
She is a dream, but she's so hard to please
She moves around like an Egyptian queen
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
I'm so afraid of losing you
But there's only so much that a man can do
For Rosa Lee
Why don't you set me free?
When I hit the road the time goes slow
Thinking about the places I used to go
With Rosa Lee
Why won't you set me free?
They're trying to close the Tu y Yo
The Latin playboy and the sky room shows
Rosa Lee
Why don't they let them be?
I can't get used to losing you
But there's only so much that a man can do
For Rosa Lee
Why don't you set me free?
People say that you were made for me
I knocked my head [?]
But they'll never know the hurt it takes to be
Rosa Lee
When love's in vain, love can be so strange
But I never thought I'd wear a ball and chain
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
Why don't you set me free
Why don't you Rosa Lee, yeah
Why don't you set free, why don't you set free
You got to set me free
You got to, you got to, you got to set free, baby, ah, yeah, ooh
There ain't nothing I can take to kill this pain
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
She is a dream, but she's so hard to please
She moves around like an Egyptian queen
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
I'm so afraid of losing you
But there's only so much that a man can do
For Rosa Lee
Why don't you set me free?
When I hit the road the time goes slow
Thinking about the places I used to go
With Rosa Lee
Why won't you set me free?
They're trying to close the Tu y Yo
The Latin playboy and the sky room shows
Rosa Lee
Why don't they let them be?
I can't get used to losing you
But there's only so much that a man can do
For Rosa Lee
Why don't you set me free?
People say that you were made for me
I knocked my head [?]
But they'll never know the hurt it takes to be
Rosa Lee
When love's in vain, love can be so strange
But I never thought I'd wear a ball and chain
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
Set me free
Why don't you, Rosa Lee?
Why don't you set me free
Why don't you Rosa Lee, yeah
Why don't you set free, why don't you set free
You got to set me free
You got to, you got to, you got to set free, baby, ah, yeah, ooh
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Set Me Free (Rosa Lee) Lyrics as written by Cesar Rosas T-bone Burnett
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
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
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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.