"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 gave her books to read, fed her mind with knowledge
Gave her street smarts, shit you can't get in college
She's a reflection of me so you know she the shit
If I'm a star she a star, if I'm rich she rich
That's my dog
I tell her stay she wanna go, I tell her go she wanna stay
That's my dog
You know a bitch don't usually mean nothing to me, that's right
But that's my dog I go left, she go right, I go up, she go down
She couldn't listen that, she ain't around
So ungrateful screaming "I hate you"
She must got amnesia, bitch I made you
Now just think, just think that could've been you
Just think, that should've been you
Yeah, with me, I share the world with you
But you ain't ride with a rider so I ain't fucking with you
Say, say, say girl, come here, no, you, no, her, yeah, you, go
The reason you didn't get dick
Because you got your nose up your ass like your smelling your shit
But tonight you met your match
'Cause I be smelling my shit too, now how you like that?
You could've had this dude and anything you choose
And now girl you lose cause I ain't fucking with ya
(Could've been you)
Shopping spree's, drop top hair blowing in the wind
(Could've been you)
Living lavish, instead it's your girlfriend
But you tripping while we sipping
In the back of the club big tipping
She say it hurts when you supposed to win then you lose
You were supposed to be sure, baby, you was confused
I had a thing for you, I had a ring for you
House, cars, kids and a pet name for you
Pussycat, told you I'd make it, you ain't believe
I guess cause coming up was hard it was easy to leave
Now think about it, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong
Either way shorty, life goes on
When you around, my smile's a grin, my thoughts are a sin
You ask me can we try again, I ain't fucking with you
It's on, the club jumping, I'm trying get my liquor and
You wanna suck the dick again, I'm staring at your thicker friends
I guess I'm like Will Smith in "Pursuit of Happyness"
In my hood, we all hustle and in pursuit of the same shit
Now just think, just think, that could've been you
Now just think that should've been you with me
I share the world with you
But you ain't ride with a rider, so I ain't fucking with you
Say, say, say girl, come here, no, you, no, her, yeah, you, go
The reason you didn't get dick
Because you got your nose up your ass like your smelling your shit
But tonight you met your match
'Cause I be smelling my shit too, now how you like that?
You could've had this dude and anything you choose
And now girl you lose cause I ain't fucking with ya
(Could've been you)
Shopping spree's, drop top hair blowing in the wind
(Could've been you)
Living lavish, instead it's your girlfriend
And it ain't no other way to put it except
I know you understand it girl, it's so
But you see us in the back of the club
Popping bottles and it could've been you, but nope
Said it could've been, could've been you, yeah
Said it could've been, could've been you
Gave her street smarts, shit you can't get in college
She's a reflection of me so you know she the shit
If I'm a star she a star, if I'm rich she rich
That's my dog
I tell her stay she wanna go, I tell her go she wanna stay
That's my dog
You know a bitch don't usually mean nothing to me, that's right
But that's my dog I go left, she go right, I go up, she go down
She couldn't listen that, she ain't around
So ungrateful screaming "I hate you"
She must got amnesia, bitch I made you
Now just think, just think that could've been you
Just think, that should've been you
Yeah, with me, I share the world with you
But you ain't ride with a rider so I ain't fucking with you
Say, say, say girl, come here, no, you, no, her, yeah, you, go
The reason you didn't get dick
Because you got your nose up your ass like your smelling your shit
But tonight you met your match
'Cause I be smelling my shit too, now how you like that?
You could've had this dude and anything you choose
And now girl you lose cause I ain't fucking with ya
(Could've been you)
Shopping spree's, drop top hair blowing in the wind
(Could've been you)
Living lavish, instead it's your girlfriend
But you tripping while we sipping
In the back of the club big tipping
She say it hurts when you supposed to win then you lose
You were supposed to be sure, baby, you was confused
I had a thing for you, I had a ring for you
House, cars, kids and a pet name for you
Pussycat, told you I'd make it, you ain't believe
I guess cause coming up was hard it was easy to leave
Now think about it, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong
Either way shorty, life goes on
When you around, my smile's a grin, my thoughts are a sin
You ask me can we try again, I ain't fucking with you
It's on, the club jumping, I'm trying get my liquor and
You wanna suck the dick again, I'm staring at your thicker friends
I guess I'm like Will Smith in "Pursuit of Happyness"
In my hood, we all hustle and in pursuit of the same shit
Now just think, just think, that could've been you
Now just think that should've been you with me
I share the world with you
But you ain't ride with a rider, so I ain't fucking with you
Say, say, say girl, come here, no, you, no, her, yeah, you, go
The reason you didn't get dick
Because you got your nose up your ass like your smelling your shit
But tonight you met your match
'Cause I be smelling my shit too, now how you like that?
You could've had this dude and anything you choose
And now girl you lose cause I ain't fucking with ya
(Could've been you)
Shopping spree's, drop top hair blowing in the wind
(Could've been you)
Living lavish, instead it's your girlfriend
And it ain't no other way to put it except
I know you understand it girl, it's so
But you see us in the back of the club
Popping bottles and it could've been you, but nope
Said it could've been, could've been you, yeah
Said it could've been, could've been you
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Could've Been You [Bonus Track] Lyrics as written by Curtis Jackson Pranam Injeti
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.