"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.
Winter's setting in again
And it feels
Like the end is near
Senseless sense and I'm alone
Watching' the seconds
Passing' by
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
For a promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
Away
When Monday morning you can't wake up
Still dreaming' of
What could've been
Something good has gone and left you
It's another tear
One won't deny
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
Another promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
All that's gone before you've changed
Well Monday morning you don't wake up
Still dreaming' of
What could've been
Something good has gone and left you
It's another tear
One more denial
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
Another promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
All that's gone before
All that's gone before
Has changed
And it feels
Like the end is near
Senseless sense and I'm alone
Watching' the seconds
Passing' by
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
For a promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
Away
When Monday morning you can't wake up
Still dreaming' of
What could've been
Something good has gone and left you
It's another tear
One won't deny
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
Another promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
All that's gone before you've changed
Well Monday morning you don't wake up
Still dreaming' of
What could've been
Something good has gone and left you
It's another tear
One more denial
Come January I swear this world
Won't be the one
That we once lived on
Took an oath
Another promise sworn and broken
All that's gone
All that's gone before
All that's gone before
Has changed
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Sworn and Broken Lyrics as written by Lanegan Conner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Ok, I actually think this song is about long distance relationships. Here's why:
Winter's setting in again And it feels Like the end is near Sensless sense and i'm alone Watchin' the seconds Passin' by
One of them has to go now that it is winter, he is watching the seconds pass by as they will be departed, but their future is uncertain, whether they'll stay together or not
Come January i swear this world Won't be the one That we once lived on Took an oath For a promise sworn and broken All that's gone Away
He is waiting anxiousloy until January, otherwise why would he mention the month? Until they meet again, their worlds will not be the same, evidently. It is clear that they both agreed on staying forever but some opportunity in life made them go separate ways physically, but not emotionally
When Monday morning you can't wake up Still dreamin' of What could've been Something good has gone and left you It's another tear One won't deny
Either the dude or the girl left, and now it's Monday, in reference to starting a new week... a new lifestyle. But he/she cant wake up because it's hard being away from that special one. They're thinking about how life would have been if their significant other would have stayed instead of leaving. Inevitably, a tear streams down because of that feeling of loneliness. Hiding this is extremely hard, that's why he admits it and does not deny it.
Well Monday morning you don't wake up Still dreamin' of What could've been Something good has gone and left you It's another tear One more denial
As opposed to the previous verse, in this one you see "one more denial" because that person still refuses to believe that they are separate. That person will not admit that they are emotionally separated, even though he's got tears in his/her eyes.
Come January i swear this world Won't be the one That we once lived on Took an oath Another promise sworn and broken All that's gone All that's gone before All that's gone before Has changed
In this verse we see "All that's gone before has changed", probably thinking how beautiful life was with that person when they were physically together. But now that has changed. So January, please come, so that way his or her world will be a better place like it used to before.