"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.
Are you gonna hurt me now?
Or are you gonna hurt me later?
Are you gonna go to town?
Maybe you should play it safer
You've got me all dressed up tonight
Springsteen on the radio
You've got me all freaked out tonight
Somethin' you're tellin' me, what I don't know
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
Drinks on the patio
Are you gonna tell me now?
Are you gonna tell me later?
Cause if you think that I don't know
I'm gonna have to say you're crazy
I'm getting all dressed up tonight
Dressed up just to hear you, boy
I already know what you got in store
Why I go, baby, I don't know
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
So you think you're in charge?
Do you?
Actin' like a big shot
I'm sure
So you think you're in charge?
Do you?
You're actin' like a big shot
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
Or are you gonna hurt me later?
Are you gonna go to town?
Maybe you should play it safer
You've got me all dressed up tonight
Springsteen on the radio
You've got me all freaked out tonight
Somethin' you're tellin' me, what I don't know
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
Drinks on the patio
Are you gonna tell me now?
Are you gonna tell me later?
Cause if you think that I don't know
I'm gonna have to say you're crazy
I'm getting all dressed up tonight
Dressed up just to hear you, boy
I already know what you got in store
Why I go, baby, I don't know
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
So you think you're in charge?
Do you?
Actin' like a big shot
I'm sure
So you think you're in charge?
Do you?
You're actin' like a big shot
You don't wanna break me down
You don't wanna say goodbye and
You don't wanna turn around
You don't wanna make me cry but
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside I could catch you again
You caught me once
Maybe on the flipside you could catch me again
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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
i think this song is about her significant other going out and cheating on her and then coming back to her claiming how much he loves her and that he doesn't want to say goodbye, break her down, etc.- that's the flipside. she got all dressed up to go out to see him because she knew he was cheating but she still wanted to see it for herself. she falls for his tricks again and again and realizes what he does but he continues to woo her. he acts like a "big shot" because he knows he's able to control and manipulate women into forgiving him.