"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.
It glittered and it gleamed
For the arriving beauty queen
A ring and a car
Now you're the prettiest by far
No party she'd not attend
No invitation she wouldn't send
Transfixed by the inner sound
Of your promise to be found
"Nothing or no one will ever
Make me let you down"
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss them for me if I am delayed
It's divoon, oh it's serene
In the fountains pink champagne
Someone carving their devotion
In the heart-shaped pool of fame
"Nothing or no one will ever
Make me let you down"
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss, kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
On the road to New Orleans
A spray of stars hit the screen
As the tenth impact shimmered
The forbidden candles beamed
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
Kiss them for me, kiss them for me
Kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
Kiss them for me, kiss them for me
For the arriving beauty queen
A ring and a car
Now you're the prettiest by far
No party she'd not attend
No invitation she wouldn't send
Transfixed by the inner sound
Of your promise to be found
"Nothing or no one will ever
Make me let you down"
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss them for me if I am delayed
It's divoon, oh it's serene
In the fountains pink champagne
Someone carving their devotion
In the heart-shaped pool of fame
"Nothing or no one will ever
Make me let you down"
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss, kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
On the road to New Orleans
A spray of stars hit the screen
As the tenth impact shimmered
The forbidden candles beamed
Kiss them for me, I may be delayed
Kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
Kiss them for me, kiss them for me
Kiss them for me, I may find myself delayed
Kiss them for me, kiss them for me
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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Ed Sheeran
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
I saw an A&E special on movie stars that started out in Playboy then went on to become famous. They stated the this song by Sioxie was about Jane Mansfield and that she was the inspiration for the writting of this song.