"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.
Yo, I go by the name
(I'm yo' Pusha) of Pharrell from the Neptunes
And I just wanna let y'all know (I'm yo' Pusha)
The world is about to feel
Something (I'm yo' Pusha)
That they've never felt before, c'mon
From ghetto to ghetto, to backyard to yard
I sell it whip on whip, it's off the hard
I'm the neighborhood Pusha
Call me subwoofer, 'cause I pump bass like that, Jack
On or off the track, I'm heavy, cuz
Ball 'til you fall 'cause you could duck to the Feddy Govs
Sorry, my love, what I'm seeing through these eyes
Benz convoys with the wagon on the side
Only big boys keep deuces on the ride
Gucci Chuck Taylor with the dragon on the side
Man, I make a buck, why scram?
I'm trying to show y'all who the fuck I am
The jewels is flirting, be damned if I'm hurtin'
Legend in two games like I'm Pee Wee Kirkland
Platinum on the block with consistent hits
While Pharrell keep talking this music shit
(Ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Patty cake, patty cake, I'm the baker's man
I bake them cakes as fast as I can
And you can tell by how my bread stack up
Then disguise it as rap so the Feds back up
Watch it, like my whip, like my chick, topless
Doing a buck-six with me in the cockpit
Grindin' cousin, I got hoes for a dozen
Even 11-5, if I see ya keep it comin'
And my weight, that's just as heavy as my name
So much dough, I can't swear I won't change
Excuse me if my wealth got me full of myself
Cocky, something that I just can't help
Especially when them twenties is spinning like windmills
And the ice thirty-two below minus the windchill
Filthy, the word that best defines me
I'm just grinding man, y'all nevermind me
(Ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
(Huh-huh)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
My grind's 'bout family, never been about fame
Them days I wasn't able, there was always 'caine
Four and a half will get you in the game
Anything less is just a goddamn shame
Guess the weight, my watch got blue chips in the face
Glock with two tips, whoever gets in the way
Not to mention the hideaway that rests by the lake
Consider my raw demeanor the icing on the cake, I'm grinding
I move 'caine like a cripple
Balance weight through the hood
Kids call me Mr. Sniffles, other hand on my nickel
Plated whistle, one eye closed, I'll hit you
As if I was Slick Rick, my aim is still an issue
Lose your soul in whichever palm I'm holdin'
One'll leave you frozen, the other, noddin' and dozin', I'm grindin', Jack
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
(Huh-huh)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
(I'm yo' Pusha) of Pharrell from the Neptunes
And I just wanna let y'all know (I'm yo' Pusha)
The world is about to feel
Something (I'm yo' Pusha)
That they've never felt before, c'mon
From ghetto to ghetto, to backyard to yard
I sell it whip on whip, it's off the hard
I'm the neighborhood Pusha
Call me subwoofer, 'cause I pump bass like that, Jack
On or off the track, I'm heavy, cuz
Ball 'til you fall 'cause you could duck to the Feddy Govs
Sorry, my love, what I'm seeing through these eyes
Benz convoys with the wagon on the side
Only big boys keep deuces on the ride
Gucci Chuck Taylor with the dragon on the side
Man, I make a buck, why scram?
I'm trying to show y'all who the fuck I am
The jewels is flirting, be damned if I'm hurtin'
Legend in two games like I'm Pee Wee Kirkland
Platinum on the block with consistent hits
While Pharrell keep talking this music shit
(Ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Patty cake, patty cake, I'm the baker's man
I bake them cakes as fast as I can
And you can tell by how my bread stack up
Then disguise it as rap so the Feds back up
Watch it, like my whip, like my chick, topless
Doing a buck-six with me in the cockpit
Grindin' cousin, I got hoes for a dozen
Even 11-5, if I see ya keep it comin'
And my weight, that's just as heavy as my name
So much dough, I can't swear I won't change
Excuse me if my wealth got me full of myself
Cocky, something that I just can't help
Especially when them twenties is spinning like windmills
And the ice thirty-two below minus the windchill
Filthy, the word that best defines me
I'm just grinding man, y'all nevermind me
(Ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
(Huh-huh)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
My grind's 'bout family, never been about fame
Them days I wasn't able, there was always 'caine
Four and a half will get you in the game
Anything less is just a goddamn shame
Guess the weight, my watch got blue chips in the face
Glock with two tips, whoever gets in the way
Not to mention the hideaway that rests by the lake
Consider my raw demeanor the icing on the cake, I'm grinding
I move 'caine like a cripple
Balance weight through the hood
Kids call me Mr. Sniffles, other hand on my nickel
Plated whistle, one eye closed, I'll hit you
As if I was Slick Rick, my aim is still an issue
Lose your soul in whichever palm I'm holdin'
One'll leave you frozen, the other, noddin' and dozin', I'm grindin', Jack
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
Grindin' (ah)
(Huh-huh)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
Grindin' (whoa), you know what I keep in the linin' (whoa)
Niggas better stay in line when (whoa)
You see a nigga like me shinin' (grinding)
Lyrics submitted by PSYCHO697186
Grindin' Lyrics as written by Terrence Thornton Chad Hugo
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
makes me dance.