"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.
Going over to Susan's house, walking south down Baxter Street
Nothing hiding behind this picket fence
There's a crazy old woman smashing bottles on the sidewalk
Where her house burnt down two years ago
People say that back then she really wasn't that crazy
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
She's gonna make it right
Down by the Donut Prince a fifteen year old boy lies on the sidewalk
With a bullet in his forehead
In a final act of indignity the paramedics take off all his clothes
For the whole world to see while they put him in the bag
Meanwhile and old couple argues inside the Queen Bee
The sick fluorescent light shimmering on their skin
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
I can't be alone tonight
Take a left down echo park, a kid asks do I want some crack
T.V. sets are spewing Baywatch through the windows into black
Here comes a girl with long brown hair who can't be more than seventeen
She sucks on a red Popsicle while she pushes a baby girl in a pink carriage
And I'm thinking, that must be her sister
That must be her sister, right?
They go into the 7-11 and I keep walking
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
Nothing hiding behind this picket fence
There's a crazy old woman smashing bottles on the sidewalk
Where her house burnt down two years ago
People say that back then she really wasn't that crazy
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
She's gonna make it right
Down by the Donut Prince a fifteen year old boy lies on the sidewalk
With a bullet in his forehead
In a final act of indignity the paramedics take off all his clothes
For the whole world to see while they put him in the bag
Meanwhile and old couple argues inside the Queen Bee
The sick fluorescent light shimmering on their skin
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
I can't be alone tonight
Take a left down echo park, a kid asks do I want some crack
T.V. sets are spewing Baywatch through the windows into black
Here comes a girl with long brown hair who can't be more than seventeen
She sucks on a red Popsicle while she pushes a baby girl in a pink carriage
And I'm thinking, that must be her sister
That must be her sister, right?
They go into the 7-11 and I keep walking
Going over to Susan's house
Going over to Susan's house
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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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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/
There's a lot more tragedy in life than a 17-year-old girl pushing a carriage. This is just his neighborhood.