"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.
Here comes the cold
Break out the winter clothes
And find a love to call your own
You, enter you
Your cheeks a shade of pink
And the rest of you in powder blue
Who knows what will be
But I'll make you this guarantee, see
No way November will see our goodbye
When it comes to December it's obvious why
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
In the dark, on the phone
You tell me the names of your brothers
And your favorite colors
I'm learning you
And when it snows again
We'll take a walk outside
And search the sky
Like children do
I'll say to you
No way November will see our goodbye
When it comes to December it's obvious why
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
And come January, we're frozen inside
Making new resolutions a hundred times
February, won't you be my valentine?
And we'll both be safe 'til St. Patrick's Day
We should take a ride tonight around the town
And look around at all the beautiful houses
Something in the way that blue lights on a black night
Can make you feel more
Everybody, it seems to me, just wants to be
Just like you and me
Hey, hey
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
Come January, we're frozen inside
Making new resolutions a hundred times
February, won't you be my valentine?
And if our always is all that we gave
And we someday take that away
I'll be alright if it was just 'til St. Patrick's Day
Break out the winter clothes
And find a love to call your own
You, enter you
Your cheeks a shade of pink
And the rest of you in powder blue
Who knows what will be
But I'll make you this guarantee, see
No way November will see our goodbye
When it comes to December it's obvious why
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
In the dark, on the phone
You tell me the names of your brothers
And your favorite colors
I'm learning you
And when it snows again
We'll take a walk outside
And search the sky
Like children do
I'll say to you
No way November will see our goodbye
When it comes to December it's obvious why
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
And come January, we're frozen inside
Making new resolutions a hundred times
February, won't you be my valentine?
And we'll both be safe 'til St. Patrick's Day
We should take a ride tonight around the town
And look around at all the beautiful houses
Something in the way that blue lights on a black night
Can make you feel more
Everybody, it seems to me, just wants to be
Just like you and me
Hey, hey
No one wants to be alone at Christmas time
Come January, we're frozen inside
Making new resolutions a hundred times
February, won't you be my valentine?
And if our always is all that we gave
And we someday take that away
I'll be alright if it was just 'til St. Patrick's Day
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
I have a live version of this song and John Mayer explains what it is about. He says that is having the right time to end the relationship but something comes up. Like he said "Well, I told her I would go to the Peter's wedding and I can't break that." Hence, all the holidays are the reason why they stay together (Nobody wants to be alone at x-mas time), but after St. Pat's there is no reason. I don't know if that helps but thats how he explains it.
To me this song is about how people usually find someone to make theirs in the wintertime and by the time march comes the weather is getting warmer and hes thinking that she may of used him as a fill for a lonely winter.
Bingo! I do believe you got it!
Okay so nobody has written about this song, but the live version is just incredible. The lyrics really speak to me also but that might be just because my ex and I broke up a week after Saint Patrick's Day. Still, I think that John Mayer has a song that speaks to me about everything and this is just one of my favorite ones.
Yeah, i wonder why no one has written about this song, it's really good. The lyrics are amazing and so true. this is another great song by john mayer, but then again, which isn't?
this song makes me so happy. why HASNT anyone written about it?! its all about not wanting to wait a minute to go without someone. it hurts to be away from them for any time at all. even though theyre together for the celebration of all these holidays- he cant wait until the next time he can see her. my favorite part is: in the dark on the phone you tell me the names of your brothers and your favorite colors I'm learning you someone should learn me dammit!! :) i love this one.
Are you stupid?<br /> That is not what the song is about at all.<br /> Cold months are November - March.<br /> Within those months are a bunch of holidays, Christmas, New Years, Valentines day,<br /> holidays that you want to be with a loved one for. And since it's cold, it's another reason you want love.<br /> He's saying in November- the love is new. Why would it end<br /> December- of course it's still going on, no one wants to be alone at Christmas.<br /> January- New years you want support for your resolurtions<br /> February- Valentines day. Enough said.<br /> March is when it starts to get warm, winter fades and you don't need that love anymore to replace the cold outside. So St. Patricks day is the first holiday that isn;t related to love. Then the rest of the year there isnt a lovey holiday until winter again.<br /> He's saying he's safe 'till st. patricks day' because that's all he wants. He'll be 'fine if it was just 'till st. patricks day' because that's as long as the love is supposed to last.<br /> It's seasonal love.<br /> Reason love. <br /> Look it up. <br /> Geez.
I'm sorry Miss Amber, but last I checked this website was for people posting what THEY thought the song meant. John -and most musicians- do not write a song with one set meaning. Their music is supposed to be open to interpretations. She was sharing her thoughts of it, and you were sharing yours; however, you could have done it without calling her "stupid".<br /> <br /> & btw I think it's about being in the highest-highs of your relationships on the holidays because that was when it was most convienient, but when the holidays were over, their relationship simmered and cooled.
what a freakin good song. how much do you want to cry when you hear it? think about it...how you always want to be with someone on holidays.
my boyfriend and i argue about this song everytime we hear it. its obvious that john knows the relationship won't last forever, that they will probably break up sometime after st. patrick's day. we can agree on that much. he says that they will last the whole holiday season, and hopefully by st. patrick's day, the girl will have learned to love john and they'll stay together. i say that they will last the whole holiday season, and probably break up after st. patrick's day, and john has the "it is better to have loved and lost..." attitude about it. just my thoughts...
~anna
I love John Mayer because his songs are just so real. Like with some songs, I listen to the lyrics and I'm like no one has relationships like that...this is just real, everyday stuff and John makes it beautiful, he's a true artist. This song makes me cry, it's one of my favorites...but then i say that about every song? And anna...I think you're right on the meaning of the song, that's what I get from it.
john can explain anything with the greatest of ease through music!! it's this feeling you get around the holidays like you've gotta share it with someone. no way November will see our goodbye when it comes to December its obvious why no one wants to be alone at Christmastime come January we're frozen inside making new resolutions a hundred times February won't you be my valentine and we'll both be safe until St. Patrick's Day after that, all the holiday excitement is gone and a relationship can get kinda dull after that. well, at least it was fun while it lasted.
Yeh. I agree with bogartfan. (Humphrey?)
Going to see Mayer next Tuesday. :) So excited.