"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.
Orange
Orange
Orange
In the mouth again
Straighten
Wearing stonewashed denim again
Straighten
Carrying something wrapped in plastic
Straighten
Curled on the blue velveteen again
Straighten
Straighten
Siteless yellow highrise
Bethnal green
Straighten
Corner tubeless dark and wet
Straighten
Ten tons slowly then again
Straighten
With its glass eyes a blue formica halo
Stainless steel between the fingers
Straighten
Pissed and leaning
Ponytail
Licking
Colonel sanders fingers
The naming of killer boy
Everythings going west nothings going east
Straighten
There's no need to be so uptight
Straighten
Make up for all their messes
I could listen to you all day
What a laugh
Cut me I bleed like you
Ha ha
The naming of killer boy
Cover your teeth
I love you
Don't bite me yet
I believe in you
I found you shopping in europa
On wardour street
Not phoning packwidth
Guilty as sin
Straighten
Scratches on paper
Pissed in a tube hole
Straighten
Smelling of deep-fried beans and whispering your name
Tube hole wind in my face
Thunder in gentle distance
Reactor reactor do you mind
Straighten
This is a random feature
Random feature
This is a random feature
Naming of killer boy
Wired up
Orange
Orange
In the mouth again
Straighten
Wearing stonewashed denim again
Straighten
Carrying something wrapped in plastic
Straighten
Curled on the blue velveteen again
Straighten
Straighten
Siteless yellow highrise
Bethnal green
Straighten
Corner tubeless dark and wet
Straighten
Ten tons slowly then again
Straighten
With its glass eyes a blue formica halo
Stainless steel between the fingers
Straighten
Pissed and leaning
Ponytail
Licking
Colonel sanders fingers
The naming of killer boy
Everythings going west nothings going east
Straighten
There's no need to be so uptight
Straighten
Make up for all their messes
I could listen to you all day
What a laugh
Cut me I bleed like you
Ha ha
The naming of killer boy
Cover your teeth
I love you
Don't bite me yet
I believe in you
I found you shopping in europa
On wardour street
Not phoning packwidth
Guilty as sin
Straighten
Scratches on paper
Pissed in a tube hole
Straighten
Smelling of deep-fried beans and whispering your name
Tube hole wind in my face
Thunder in gentle distance
Reactor reactor do you mind
Straighten
This is a random feature
Random feature
This is a random feature
Naming of killer boy
Wired up
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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
europa is a 7-11 store (on wardour street - of course) in london's charming soho district... bit pricey in there (if memory serves) but always well stocked...