"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.
40 years in the palm of the ocean,
You didn't win, you didn't win, I've got anchors,
Said the child in my heart, repeating.
On the day that I died.
To the west, to the west, I need anchors
To the west, to the west, I need strong hands,
To pull me up over the mountains
Before I love you again.
'Cause the sound was the boat slowly breaking,
And the weight was a mountain of old pain
Like I could have walked on the sea,
If you'd just noticed me, hanging around
But we danced, hey, hey, hey
Yeah, we danced, hey, hey, hey
To be whole, to be whole, to be holy, holy, holy
There were bright days, we were dreaming.
There were black days in the red room of your anger,
The roses retreating, and blooming again.
But the song was my heart slowly breaking,
And the weight was a mountain of old pain.
Like I could've walked on the sea,
If you'd just noticed me waiting in the rain
But we danced, hey, hey, hey
Yeah, we danced, hey, hey, hey
To be whole, to be whole, to be holy, holy, holy
Well, it's you or it's me so it's over
Well, it's you or it's' me, I've got bills to pay
Said my heart to your memory in anger,
When I boarded the plane
To the west, to the west, I need anchors
To the west, gonna find me a gold mine.
So sing us a song of redemption
I'm doing alright, I'm doing alright
Yeah, I'm doing alright, doing alright, doing alright
Hey, hey, hey
You didn't win, you didn't win, I've got anchors,
Said the child in my heart, repeating.
On the day that I died.
To the west, to the west, I need anchors
To the west, to the west, I need strong hands,
To pull me up over the mountains
Before I love you again.
'Cause the sound was the boat slowly breaking,
And the weight was a mountain of old pain
Like I could have walked on the sea,
If you'd just noticed me, hanging around
But we danced, hey, hey, hey
Yeah, we danced, hey, hey, hey
To be whole, to be whole, to be holy, holy, holy
There were bright days, we were dreaming.
There were black days in the red room of your anger,
The roses retreating, and blooming again.
But the song was my heart slowly breaking,
And the weight was a mountain of old pain.
Like I could've walked on the sea,
If you'd just noticed me waiting in the rain
But we danced, hey, hey, hey
Yeah, we danced, hey, hey, hey
To be whole, to be whole, to be holy, holy, holy
Well, it's you or it's me so it's over
Well, it's you or it's' me, I've got bills to pay
Said my heart to your memory in anger,
When I boarded the plane
To the west, to the west, I need anchors
To the west, gonna find me a gold mine.
So sing us a song of redemption
I'm doing alright, I'm doing alright
Yeah, I'm doing alright, doing alright, doing alright
Hey, hey, hey
Lyrics submitted by andreaaaa
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.
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,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.