"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.
Growing up it was just me and my mom
Against the world
And all my sympathies were with her
When I was a little girl
But now I've seen both my parents
Play out the hands that they were dealt
And as each year goes by
I know more about how my father must have felt
I just want you to understand
That I know what all the fighting was for
And I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
She taught me how to wage a cold war
With quiet charm
But I just want to walk
Through my life unarmed
To accept and just get by
Like my father learned to do
But without all the acceptance and getting by
That got my father through
I just want you to understand
That I know what all the fighting was for
And I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
Night falls like people into love
We generate our own light
To compensate
For the lack of light from above
Every time we fight
A cold wind blows our way
But we can learn like the trees
How to bend
How to sway and say
I, I think I understand
What all this fighting is for
And, baby, I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
Against the world
And all my sympathies were with her
When I was a little girl
But now I've seen both my parents
Play out the hands that they were dealt
And as each year goes by
I know more about how my father must have felt
I just want you to understand
That I know what all the fighting was for
And I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
She taught me how to wage a cold war
With quiet charm
But I just want to walk
Through my life unarmed
To accept and just get by
Like my father learned to do
But without all the acceptance and getting by
That got my father through
I just want you to understand
That I know what all the fighting was for
And I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
Night falls like people into love
We generate our own light
To compensate
For the lack of light from above
Every time we fight
A cold wind blows our way
But we can learn like the trees
How to bend
How to sway and say
I, I think I understand
What all this fighting is for
And, baby, I just want you to understand
That I'm not angry anymore
No, I'm not angry anymore
Lyrics submitted by aur0ra, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Angry Anymore Lyrics as written by Ani Di Franco
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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So many female artists are labeled as "angry spiteful women" and it is really a shame. In this song she shows compassion and maturity. To me this song has always been about growing up and realising what your parents went through. It is also about learning from mistakes.:)