"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.
Days full of cherry wine, telling you something about yourself that someone could have just told you if they were honest, like cherry wine. It brings you clarity and brings you spite and everything but what you really want. And you're my cherry wine telling me something about myself I really don't want to know. Why not drown me in this state of discontent?
Why not drown me?
Why not drown me?
Lyrics submitted by MooWasHere
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Fast Car
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Wow i never realized all of the lyrics were just these couple lines. I like this song so much but don't know what it means..i luve J.S.
i think its about someone who always tells him the truth even though sometimes it hurts
yea, i saw JS live
they kicked some ass
such a powerful song
He's singing about someone in his life who is brutally honest with him. This person shares sober incite and truthful realities about himself with him. These are things he surely knows, "telling you something about yourself that someone could have just told you if they were honest." He's maybe even tried to change these things in the past but can't because of lack of will. Or its possible he just chooses not to put in the effort, but it's these things which have the result of leaving him dissatisfied with the relationship(s) he has had with people. Including the person he's singing this song for. The references to 'Cherry Wine' fits nicely, as it is one of the less common wines. It's sweet, tart flavor comes from the cherry fruit which it's made from. As rare as honesty comes these days, it works well as a visual illustration for the person in his life he sings [this song] for. This person, whose relationship status is likely to be a that of a close friend or would-be-lover, is comfortable enough to be vocal, expressing what is seen in him good + bad. He recognizes this, "brings you clarity and brings you spite," and yet is still focused on what he wants of the relationship, "everything but what you really want." He doesn't really care about his faults (failures, hypocrisy, whatever shallow traits he carries with him.) The concerned is more with the satisfaction he is not getting, "in this state of discontent." In the last two lines he's asking why not leave, "Why not drown me," Now he's back to looking for a way to not change the problems he knows exist in himself, he wants the easy way out... but you can not escape yourself. It's a powerful song. The melodic vocals, lengthy guitar riffs, lyrical repetition, and simplicity of the song leaves the listener ready for more. There is also some muffled lyrics in the background at the 3:13min. mark,something that sounds to me like it could be, "in my life, miles away, for me so long ago." If anyone knows what the actual lines are please post.