"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.
Girl, don't you know every time I see you smiling,
It hurts so bad, cause when I see you, I start crying,
I've tried everything to stop, but there's no denying,
That falling in love with you, girl, is just like dying.
Oh, don't walk away,
How, how can I make you stay?
Don't turn away,
I can still hear you saying those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Girl, don't you know we could work it out with talking?
You won't look around or slow down your walking,
I've given you everything with kiss to seal it,
You had to get your kicks out of trying to steal it.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through, ahh.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
It hurts so bad, cause when I see you, I start crying,
I've tried everything to stop, but there's no denying,
That falling in love with you, girl, is just like dying.
Oh, don't walk away,
How, how can I make you stay?
Don't turn away,
I can still hear you saying those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Girl, don't you know we could work it out with talking?
You won't look around or slow down your walking,
I've given you everything with kiss to seal it,
You had to get your kicks out of trying to steal it.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through, ahh.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.