"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.
(may not be exact)
Oh
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Yeah
Am I coming through?
Am I coming through?
Is it sweet and pure and true?
Devil came by this morning,
Said he had something to show me,
I was looking like I'd never seen a face before,
Here we go now lets slide in through the open door.
Pictures and things that I've done before,
Circling around me I'm here on the floor,
I'm dreaming this and I'm dreaming that,
Regretting nothing think about that.
[Chorus]
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I almost lost my my mind,
I couldn't explain what I've seen.
I have been down my (unintelligible),
To find that the images are fading away.
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I almost lost my my mind,
I couldn't explain the things I've seen.
But now I think I see the light
But now I think I see the light
Lend me a hand,
Lend me your hand,
Lend me a hand,
Lend me your hand,
Lend me your hand.
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
But now I'm home and I'm free,
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Oh ma ma ma ma ma ma man
[Repeat: x12]
You'd better go to bed now
My heart is so damn free,
My heart is so damn free,
You know I always lost my mind,
But now I'm home and I'm free
[Repeat: x10]
Did I pass the acid test?
Oh ma ma ma ma ma ma man
Oh
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now?
Yeah
Am I coming through?
Am I coming through?
Is it sweet and pure and true?
Devil came by this morning,
Said he had something to show me,
I was looking like I'd never seen a face before,
Here we go now lets slide in through the open door.
Pictures and things that I've done before,
Circling around me I'm here on the floor,
I'm dreaming this and I'm dreaming that,
Regretting nothing think about that.
[Chorus]
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I almost lost my my mind,
I couldn't explain what I've seen.
I have been down my (unintelligible),
To find that the images are fading away.
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
I can't explain where I've been,
You know I almost lost my my mind,
I couldn't explain the things I've seen.
But now I think I see the light
But now I think I see the light
Lend me a hand,
Lend me your hand,
Lend me a hand,
Lend me your hand,
Lend me your hand.
I see waves break and form on my horizons,
Yeah I'm shining,
I'm seeing waves break and form on my horizons,
Lord I'm shining,
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
Oh are you hearing me, like I'm hearing you
You know I always lost my mind,
But now I'm home and I'm free,
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Did I pass the acid test?
Oh ma ma ma ma ma ma man
[Repeat: x12]
You'd better go to bed now
My heart is so damn free,
My heart is so damn free,
You know I always lost my mind,
But now I'm home and I'm free
[Repeat: x10]
Did I pass the acid test?
Oh ma ma ma ma ma ma man
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
richard ashcroft listened to the music before recording the vocals, but he never wrote them out, the lyrics of the song is what he made up as he recorded the track.
the bit at the end 'did i pass the acid test?' is him asking if he has done ok.