"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.
Wandering below the hadean seal
Shaking, mortified, making my way back to nowhere
This skeletal mask brings a demon of the day
There never would have been a light if the messenger in still life had regard for
The son of the damaged soul
Send the mirror falling
Heavens see that this man once had value among all the golden
But eccentric revisions in life brought on decay
Take submission from a man in control
Set the sail blowing, search for peace
A loose feeling consuming me
Blood is spent
A token for my sacrifice
Fallen angel, you speak my name
The needle turns, the hourglass is spinning around
Give it, I want it... a sense of a fucking life
I can almost feel mine at home
Selfish cries
I'm diseased
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left in this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies (Sail upon the open skies, Sail upon the open skies)
Exhale your death and feel life, like water raining from above
Majestic aura
Take in my breath and lock eyes with a world once absent of your love
Majestic aura
Blood is spent
A token for my sacrifice
The tortured realm has released my name
I can feel my body parting with this world Rebirth is starting from within
I'm born some place beyond your time
I'm born some place beyond your time Selfish cries
Flaunt disease
Own what's mine
Death upon my knees
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left inside this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left inside this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies
Floating up above the hadean seal
Sounds of ambient voices will lead me from nowhere
This skeletal mask brings a demon of the day
Shaking, mortified, making my way back to nowhere
This skeletal mask brings a demon of the day
There never would have been a light if the messenger in still life had regard for
The son of the damaged soul
Send the mirror falling
Heavens see that this man once had value among all the golden
But eccentric revisions in life brought on decay
Take submission from a man in control
Set the sail blowing, search for peace
A loose feeling consuming me
Blood is spent
A token for my sacrifice
Fallen angel, you speak my name
The needle turns, the hourglass is spinning around
Give it, I want it... a sense of a fucking life
I can almost feel mine at home
Selfish cries
I'm diseased
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left in this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies (Sail upon the open skies, Sail upon the open skies)
Exhale your death and feel life, like water raining from above
Majestic aura
Take in my breath and lock eyes with a world once absent of your love
Majestic aura
Blood is spent
A token for my sacrifice
The tortured realm has released my name
I can feel my body parting with this world Rebirth is starting from within
I'm born some place beyond your time
I'm born some place beyond your time Selfish cries
Flaunt disease
Own what's mine
Death upon my knees
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left inside this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies
Let it pour out and show what has healed
One can finally find what's left inside this masochistic personality
In a holy bond we live
Take a breath for seconds in this moment
Sail upon the open skies
Floating up above the hadean seal
Sounds of ambient voices will lead me from nowhere
This skeletal mask brings a demon of the day
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.