"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.
Well everybody's back
And everybody's lookin good
And everybody there's a party on Congress
So everybody grab your cups
And all you girls wear your makeup
Cause this'll be a party to remember
And all the basement bong head boys
Are staring at the ceiling
Wondering, why am I feeling so dumb
And all the new recruits
Are flying in on parachutes
From college dorms
Cause they hear it's the bomb
And of a love is buzzing
The feelings are warm and fuzzy
From bonfires blazing
And ....of a revolution
Screaming on the stereo
Well everybody's back
Oh, and everbody's lookin good
And oh jeans with holes
And I got a stomp down come and bust us this time
Well everybody back
Keep your hands in check
Raise your glass to the sky for feeling alive
And we feel so fine
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something to make us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
And all the boys wear brand new Abercrombie and Fitch
Cause their folks got em gift certificates for Christmas
And all the girls wear Victoria Secret on their panties
And the Dandy boys wanna know their secrets
And all the hippies flock to the sound
Of acid induced rock
And all the alumni
Sit sour and bitter
While sorority chicks throw up
With their cosmopolitan hair cuts
Thinking that this life just can't get better
And of a love is buzzing
The feelings are warm and fuzzy
From bonfires blazing
And EDUCATED COMEDY
Screaming on the stereo
Well everybody's back
Oh, and everybody's lookin good
And oh jeans with holes
And I got a stomp come and bust us this time
Well everybody back
Keep your hands in check
Raise your glass to the sky
I'm alive
And I feel so fine
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this night
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something to make us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
Freshman on the couch
One looks at the other's watch
I can't believe I've got class at 8 o'clock
And all the drunk boys
And all the drunk girls
Scurry up the stairs at once
Looking for an empty room to make love
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this night
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something making us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
Come on in
Kegs are pouring out the love
The cops won't bust us tonight
Because, we've got hours, after hours oh
Well everybody's back
And everybody's lookin good
And everybody there's a party on Congress
So everybody grab your cups
And all you girls wear your makeup
Cause this'll be a party to remember
And everybody's lookin good
And everybody there's a party on Congress
So everybody grab your cups
And all you girls wear your makeup
Cause this'll be a party to remember
And all the basement bong head boys
Are staring at the ceiling
Wondering, why am I feeling so dumb
And all the new recruits
Are flying in on parachutes
From college dorms
Cause they hear it's the bomb
And of a love is buzzing
The feelings are warm and fuzzy
From bonfires blazing
And ....of a revolution
Screaming on the stereo
Well everybody's back
Oh, and everbody's lookin good
And oh jeans with holes
And I got a stomp down come and bust us this time
Well everybody back
Keep your hands in check
Raise your glass to the sky for feeling alive
And we feel so fine
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something to make us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
And all the boys wear brand new Abercrombie and Fitch
Cause their folks got em gift certificates for Christmas
And all the girls wear Victoria Secret on their panties
And the Dandy boys wanna know their secrets
And all the hippies flock to the sound
Of acid induced rock
And all the alumni
Sit sour and bitter
While sorority chicks throw up
With their cosmopolitan hair cuts
Thinking that this life just can't get better
And of a love is buzzing
The feelings are warm and fuzzy
From bonfires blazing
And EDUCATED COMEDY
Screaming on the stereo
Well everybody's back
Oh, and everybody's lookin good
And oh jeans with holes
And I got a stomp come and bust us this time
Well everybody back
Keep your hands in check
Raise your glass to the sky
I'm alive
And I feel so fine
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this night
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something to make us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
Freshman on the couch
One looks at the other's watch
I can't believe I've got class at 8 o'clock
And all the drunk boys
And all the drunk girls
Scurry up the stairs at once
Looking for an empty room to make love
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something, lasting us through this night
And we wanted, we wanted, we wanted, we wanted
Something making us feel alive
Kegs are pouring out the love
The sun won't let the moon shine on down
We've got hours, after hours oh
Come on in
Kegs are pouring out the love
The cops won't bust us tonight
Because, we've got hours, after hours oh
Well everybody's back
And everybody's lookin good
And everybody there's a party on Congress
So everybody grab your cups
And all you girls wear your makeup
Cause this'll be a party to remember
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
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
going to OU and reading all of these lines that literally mirror my life hit so close to home that it's almost scary. every line just screams out exactly how it feels to go to college not to do well and to get ahead in life, but simply because we knew it would be the best f*ckin time of our lives. we live it up. and we make mom and dad pay for it.
HIGHER EDUCATION