"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.
[Ow, shake it!
Yeah, oh, you're lookin' sweet, baby
Yes, indeedy
Funky (get down)]
We was on a dancefloor shakin' our thing
To a funky beat with a go-go swing
Everyone was watching, they stared in shock
Amazed at how Salt and Pepa was rock-
In the place with a smile on my face
Some got upset and then tried to base
They called us nasty, said we danced dirty
Claimed we were freaks, cheap, even flirty
Pepa got pissed and pulled out a pump
I was all set not to jet but to jump
Spin broke it up and asked not to break
Said, "They don't understand the way you..."
CHORUS
Shake your thang, owww
Do what you wanna do
I can't tell you how to catch a groove
It's your thang (It's your thing)
Do what you wanna do
I won't tell you who to sock it to
Shake that thing, c'mon, y'all, shake it
We could get loose, but we can't get naked
It's not a crime, it's legal, we answered
Look again - see? We're just dancin'
Relax a bit, now ain't that better?
I think it's time for you to get a...
Partner, doe-see, gather in closely
I wanna see the ones that mostly
Front on a cutie, hope you're not fruity
Do your duty and...
CHORUS
Come on, y'all, shake that thing
You got to just show no shame
I want you to shake that thing
Come on, y'all, show no shame
Shake your thang, yeah yeah
Oh, you're lookin' sweet, baby
Owww, I won't tell you how to catch a groove
It's my thing, and I'll swing it the way that I feel
With a little seduction and some sex appeal
It's Friday night, and I just got paid
I'm checking out the fella with the high-top fade
Moving in closely, ready for the kill
Steppin' on a dancefloor, think you're ill
But if I guy touch my body I just put him in check
I said, "We just met", "We can't do that yet"
I'm not a pick-up (no), this ain't a stick up (boy)
I'm not stuck up (yeah), and turn to kick up
And just rock, baby-pop, don't stop
Stick out your butt, and shake what you got
CHORUS
Oooo, I like hip-hop mixin' with go-go, baby
It's my thing, and I shake it crazy
Don't try and tell me how to party
It's my dance, yup, and it's my body
The shirt I wear may be low cut
My jeans fit nice, it shows off my butt
Designer down from head to toe
Oooo, my hair, neck, and fingers is crazy-glow
Now please stop blushin', we're just dancing, dummy
C'mon, we both know I don't want you for your money
Cuz we like to rap so we always rhyme
I like to dance, oooo, and I like to grind
I like this song, I like this beat
I'll see you later, where shall we...
CHORUS
Yeah, oh, you're lookin' sweet, baby
Yes, indeedy
Funky (get down)]
We was on a dancefloor shakin' our thing
To a funky beat with a go-go swing
Everyone was watching, they stared in shock
Amazed at how Salt and Pepa was rock-
In the place with a smile on my face
Some got upset and then tried to base
They called us nasty, said we danced dirty
Claimed we were freaks, cheap, even flirty
Pepa got pissed and pulled out a pump
I was all set not to jet but to jump
Spin broke it up and asked not to break
Said, "They don't understand the way you..."
CHORUS
Shake your thang, owww
Do what you wanna do
I can't tell you how to catch a groove
It's your thang (It's your thing)
Do what you wanna do
I won't tell you who to sock it to
Shake that thing, c'mon, y'all, shake it
We could get loose, but we can't get naked
It's not a crime, it's legal, we answered
Look again - see? We're just dancin'
Relax a bit, now ain't that better?
I think it's time for you to get a...
Partner, doe-see, gather in closely
I wanna see the ones that mostly
Front on a cutie, hope you're not fruity
Do your duty and...
CHORUS
Come on, y'all, shake that thing
You got to just show no shame
I want you to shake that thing
Come on, y'all, show no shame
Shake your thang, yeah yeah
Oh, you're lookin' sweet, baby
Owww, I won't tell you how to catch a groove
It's my thing, and I'll swing it the way that I feel
With a little seduction and some sex appeal
It's Friday night, and I just got paid
I'm checking out the fella with the high-top fade
Moving in closely, ready for the kill
Steppin' on a dancefloor, think you're ill
But if I guy touch my body I just put him in check
I said, "We just met", "We can't do that yet"
I'm not a pick-up (no), this ain't a stick up (boy)
I'm not stuck up (yeah), and turn to kick up
And just rock, baby-pop, don't stop
Stick out your butt, and shake what you got
CHORUS
Oooo, I like hip-hop mixin' with go-go, baby
It's my thing, and I shake it crazy
Don't try and tell me how to party
It's my dance, yup, and it's my body
The shirt I wear may be low cut
My jeans fit nice, it shows off my butt
Designer down from head to toe
Oooo, my hair, neck, and fingers is crazy-glow
Now please stop blushin', we're just dancing, dummy
C'mon, we both know I don't want you for your money
Cuz we like to rap so we always rhyme
I like to dance, oooo, and I like to grind
I like this song, I like this beat
I'll see you later, where shall we...
CHORUS
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.