"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've been burned
I've been hurt
I've been kicked to the curb
Cause I'm more than a little hard on this world
Feeling more peace for me
Then I like what I see
Say you ain't just a dangerous toy
Got a bad attitude
On this blue avenue
I need someone to convince me I'm wrong
I've been up, I've been down
I've been lost, I've been found
If you think you can turn this heart around
Show me
Show me
Take me in your arms and hold me
You've got to show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
If you walk like you talk
Then you talk while you walk
But I can't still quite hear what you say
Come a little closer to me
Cause I wanna believe
This don't happen to me everyday
Yeah!
Well it's three a.m., I've been waiting all night
For someone to light my soul
You keep saying it's you
And I'm praying it's true
If this is love
Do you know what to do?
Show me
Show me
Take me in your arms and hold me
You've got to show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
Come on and show me
Show me
Baby turn around and hold me
Show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
Come on and show me!
Oh! oh!
Ha, show me
If you walk like you talk
Then you talk while you walk
If you mean what you say
Girl we'll go all the way
If you like how it feels
Then we'll know that it's real
You keep saying it's you
And I'm praying it's true
If this is love
Do you know what to do?
Know what to do??
Then baby stop talking and
Show me!
Show me!
Take me in your arms and hold me!
You've got to show me!
Show me!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Come on and show me!
Show me!
Baby turn around and hold me!
You've got to show me!
Show me!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Oh!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Girl you've got to show me
I've been hurt
I've been kicked to the curb
Cause I'm more than a little hard on this world
Feeling more peace for me
Then I like what I see
Say you ain't just a dangerous toy
Got a bad attitude
On this blue avenue
I need someone to convince me I'm wrong
I've been up, I've been down
I've been lost, I've been found
If you think you can turn this heart around
Show me
Show me
Take me in your arms and hold me
You've got to show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
If you walk like you talk
Then you talk while you walk
But I can't still quite hear what you say
Come a little closer to me
Cause I wanna believe
This don't happen to me everyday
Yeah!
Well it's three a.m., I've been waiting all night
For someone to light my soul
You keep saying it's you
And I'm praying it's true
If this is love
Do you know what to do?
Show me
Show me
Take me in your arms and hold me
You've got to show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
Come on and show me
Show me
Baby turn around and hold me
Show me
Show me
Show me your little rock n' roll fire
Come on and show me!
Oh! oh!
Ha, show me
If you walk like you talk
Then you talk while you walk
If you mean what you say
Girl we'll go all the way
If you like how it feels
Then we'll know that it's real
You keep saying it's you
And I'm praying it's true
If this is love
Do you know what to do?
Know what to do??
Then baby stop talking and
Show me!
Show me!
Take me in your arms and hold me!
You've got to show me!
Show me!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Come on and show me!
Show me!
Baby turn around and hold me!
You've got to show me!
Show me!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Oh!
Show me your little rock n' roll fire!
Girl you've got to show me
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Show Me Lyrics as written by Robert Johnson James Peterik
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.