"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 can see you in the dark
I see you hi-hi-hiding away
I can feel you in the dark mist
I know the little games you play
I can read your dirty mind
Thinking you got sh-t, won't fly with me
Boy I'm on ya like a polygraph
Love too hard still
This is what I see
I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
Boy I got a PhD
I got a masters in boy-ology
My sidekick psychi call her
What you wanna, but more
I'm on ya
Made you think that she's the one
And she'll wake up and there's you'll gone
You got the matrix in your head
Run it, run over, gather up, play it
But I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
Hide and seek
Made you peek
Put you to sleep, like Quashi
Wrapped by tie around your neck
That's what I call a freak on a leash
Help yourself, got my belt
Torn my pants, straight to hell
All my guns tired of kills
This must be how heaven feels
I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
I see you hi-hi-hiding away
I can feel you in the dark mist
I know the little games you play
I can read your dirty mind
Thinking you got sh-t, won't fly with me
Boy I'm on ya like a polygraph
Love too hard still
This is what I see
I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
Boy I got a PhD
I got a masters in boy-ology
My sidekick psychi call her
What you wanna, but more
I'm on ya
Made you think that she's the one
And she'll wake up and there's you'll gone
You got the matrix in your head
Run it, run over, gather up, play it
But I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
Hide and seek
Made you peek
Put you to sleep, like Quashi
Wrapped by tie around your neck
That's what I call a freak on a leash
Help yourself, got my belt
Torn my pants, straight to hell
All my guns tired of kills
This must be how heaven feels
I know you when you can't lie
No baby you can't lie
You run but you can't hide
I see you when you're pulling
The world over my eyes
The world over my eyes
Lights out!
(Go crazy, go go go, lights out, go crazy, go go go, go crazy)
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
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.
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.
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.