"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.
And here I go again, through the back streets of my mind,
It seems my life was standing still,
Who's sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how I didn't notice
Here we go again, fighting things we never win,
It seems our love was standing still
Oh I'm sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how (funny how)
I don't feel the love,
I just hear the words,
Julia says
She doesn't know what it's all about
She doesn't seem to care at all,
Open your eyes and see
Love hurts
I won't be fooled again,
Looking for the dream I couldn't find
The dream for me was left behind
Woh I'm sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how (funny how)
I don't feel the love
I just hear the words
Julia says
She doesn't know what it's all about,
She doesn't seem to care at all,
Open your eyes and see, love hurts,
Julia please, open your eyes and see
Julia wants to be on her own,
Sharing her thoughts, she is all alone,
Dreaming of the things she wants to be,
Where Julia don't belong
Julia says
She doesn't know, what it's all about
She doesn't know,
Julia please open your eyes see
C'mon Julie open your eyes and see
She don't know what it's all about
Julia please, Julia please
Julia, you don't care at all
Cause I want you
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Julie, Julie, Julie
It seems my life was standing still,
Who's sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how I didn't notice
Here we go again, fighting things we never win,
It seems our love was standing still
Oh I'm sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how (funny how)
I don't feel the love,
I just hear the words,
Julia says
She doesn't know what it's all about
She doesn't seem to care at all,
Open your eyes and see
Love hurts
I won't be fooled again,
Looking for the dream I couldn't find
The dream for me was left behind
Woh I'm sorry now (sorry now)
It's funny how (funny how)
I don't feel the love
I just hear the words
Julia says
She doesn't know what it's all about,
She doesn't seem to care at all,
Open your eyes and see, love hurts,
Julia please, open your eyes and see
Julia wants to be on her own,
Sharing her thoughts, she is all alone,
Dreaming of the things she wants to be,
Where Julia don't belong
Julia says
She doesn't know, what it's all about
She doesn't know,
Julia please open your eyes see
C'mon Julie open your eyes and see
She don't know what it's all about
Julia please, Julia please
Julia, you don't care at all
Cause I want you
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Julie, Julie, Julie
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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.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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,
I've always loved this song, it brings me very sweet memories from high school and my life back then. For some reason, I've always found it very touching, but back then I didn't understand the lyrics so now I'm not so sure what it could be written about. The armonies are really beautiful, it's one of my favourites from the mid-90s.
I always love this song, music and lyrics. I think it's about a girl who doesn't seem to care about his lover and how the story goes. she seems to be cinic or, living in a dreamworld.
I think this song tell about repetition of bad romance between (Julia) and her lover. When he(the lover) love her(julia), Julia rejected him. And than when Julia love him, he rejected her. He not believe when she tell, she love him, coz before... Julia rejected him.
But when he reject her, he feel hurt when doing that to her. In lyrics : "And here I go again, through the back streets of my mind, It seems my life was standing still, Who's sorry now (sorry now) It's funny how I didn't notice "
But than he realise that he love her. In lyrics : "Here we go again, fighting things we never win, It seems our love was standing still . Oh I'm sorry now (sorry now) It's funny how (funny how) "
But too bad, he already breaking her heart, so she reject him. In lyrics : "Julia says She doesn't know what it's all about She doesn't seem to care at all, Open your eyes and see Love hurts "
And know she (julia) doesn't want to be hurting by him again. In lyrics : "I won't be fooled again, Looking for the dream I couldn't find The dream for me was left behind Woh I'm sorry now (sorry now) It's funny how (funny how) I don't feel the love I just hear the words "
But he still persistent with his love, he want to prove to Julia. that he not afraid anymore and he really love Julia. In lyric: "Julia please open your eyes see C'mon Julie open your eyes and see She don't know what it's all about Julia please, Julia please Julia, you don't care at all Cause I want you C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon Julie, Julie, Julie"
She think, the romance between them should be end. Coz its only make them hurting each other feeling.... In lyrics: "Julia wants to be on her own, Sharing her thoughts, she is all alone, Dreaming of the things she wants to be, Where Julia don't belong"
But i think, there is still a hope for him... Coz " the dream of the things she want to be, are not where Julia belong" Only take few time for her to realise where should she belong... Its like when he(the lover) realise that he belongs to Julia (◠‿◠✿)
If its real romance... well... it will be REALLY A HARD TIME for him... Chayo!! C'mon boy... he love her right?! ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ Next time the girl you love, loving you, DONT REJECT HER!!! "Love must be honest and brave..." He must pay the price, weather "lose the love or patient to get the love" Depend... how much he love her...
Love is complicated, i stick to the rule.. "Love yourself" Much more simplify... wkwkwkwk... forever alone... XDXDXD
I think this is about being around the backstreets of Bath and a girl refusing his walking advance due to his fame.
I reckon the reaction surprised him and Tommy.
Time stood still.
There was then regret
The words of the song being said at the time
An amazing encounter with regret.
Great song.