"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.
Come out of a fireball
Notes burning and the letters scrawled
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Bare light, bulb and a hotplate
Was there that I finally met my fate
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
She danced the room and she made it fine
I sang a song about a crooked line
I ain't ever goin' back no more
And she's my first love and she's my last
Don't ask me how it ever came to pass
'Cause I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever going back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
A pint of gin and a long bus trip
Somebody said, "You just get over it"
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I see her face at every shitty bar
That I have to play to pay for this guitar
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I'm singing every song for her tonight
So bartender, would you hit the lights?
'Cause I ain't ever goin' back no more
A little something to remember me
It's been so long, Lord, she mustn't see
I ain't ever goin' back no more
And I ain't ever goin' back
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Dust settles in a darkened room
Whiskey steals away the sense of doom
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
We made love and we made hate
Never could seem to get it straight
I ain't ever goin' back no more, baby
You're branded on my soul and in my mind
I keep running up and down this old fence line
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Only one thing in my life is true
Honey, I will remember you
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ever goin' back no more
Ever goin' back no more
Ever goin' back no more
Notes burning and the letters scrawled
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Bare light, bulb and a hotplate
Was there that I finally met my fate
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
She danced the room and she made it fine
I sang a song about a crooked line
I ain't ever goin' back no more
And she's my first love and she's my last
Don't ask me how it ever came to pass
'Cause I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever going back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
A pint of gin and a long bus trip
Somebody said, "You just get over it"
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I see her face at every shitty bar
That I have to play to pay for this guitar
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I'm singing every song for her tonight
So bartender, would you hit the lights?
'Cause I ain't ever goin' back no more
A little something to remember me
It's been so long, Lord, she mustn't see
I ain't ever goin' back no more
And I ain't ever goin' back
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Dust settles in a darkened room
Whiskey steals away the sense of doom
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
We made love and we made hate
Never could seem to get it straight
I ain't ever goin' back no more, baby
You're branded on my soul and in my mind
I keep running up and down this old fence line
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Only one thing in my life is true
Honey, I will remember you
And I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
Wouldn't even try to find that door
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I don't care what the past has in store
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ain't ever goin' back no more
I ever goin' back no more
Ever goin' back no more
Ever goin' back no more
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Ain't Ever Goin' Back Lyrics as written by John Hiatt
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.