"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.
Ah, Why can’t you see
What’s going on with me
Can’t find positivity
Good and evil such a mystery
Ah, jump out your seat
Life gets hectic like a city street
Pay your dues but get a receipt
All victories are bittersweet
Ah, release the tension
Too much weight for me to be benching
Don’t know why fists I’m clenching
The road to hell paved with good intention
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express
Ah, there’s too much pressure
Why is everything a stressor?
Don’t be second guesser
Wasting time trying to impress her
Ah, will I get the grade
Will I get played, will I get laid
What’s it take to make it all fade,
Will I ever find shade?
Ah, get some proof to my mind
Figure out why I’m in this bind
Dig deeper and see what I can find
No stress when I get the kind
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express
1 for the pleasure, 2 for the pain
3 for the thoughts running through your brain
1 for the pleasure, 2 for the pain
3 for the times when you’re going insane 3x
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express 2x
What’s going on with me
Can’t find positivity
Good and evil such a mystery
Ah, jump out your seat
Life gets hectic like a city street
Pay your dues but get a receipt
All victories are bittersweet
Ah, release the tension
Too much weight for me to be benching
Don’t know why fists I’m clenching
The road to hell paved with good intention
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express
Ah, there’s too much pressure
Why is everything a stressor?
Don’t be second guesser
Wasting time trying to impress her
Ah, will I get the grade
Will I get played, will I get laid
What’s it take to make it all fade,
Will I ever find shade?
Ah, get some proof to my mind
Figure out why I’m in this bind
Dig deeper and see what I can find
No stress when I get the kind
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express
1 for the pleasure, 2 for the pain
3 for the thoughts running through your brain
1 for the pleasure, 2 for the pain
3 for the times when you’re going insane 3x
Stress, when it all builds up,
A mess, when I can’t get up,
Confess, that I’m feeling stuck,
Express 2x
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.
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/
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.