"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.
16 Days
Got sixteen days
One for every time I've gone awayOne for every time I should have stayedShould have wore my wedding ring
Got sixteen days
Fifteen of those are nightsCan't sleep when the bed sheet fightsIt's way back to your side
Well the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me running
Away from you, away from you, awayWell the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me running
Away from you, away from you, away
Got sixteen days
Got a bottle and a rosaryGod I wish that you were close to meI guess I owe you an apology
Got sixteen days
Fifteen of those are nights
Can't sleep when the bed sheet fightsIts way back to your side
Well the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, awayWell the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away
Old tin cups, little paper dolls
All wrapped up in ribbons bows and hearts
Old tin cups and little paper dolls
All wrapped up in the ribbons of your heart
I got sixteen days
Sixteen days
I got sixteen days
It's like a fool I am
Got sixteen days
One for every time I've gone awayOne for every time I should have stayedShould have wore my wedding ring
Got sixteen days
Fifteen of those are nightsCan't sleep when the bed sheet fightsIt's way back to your side
Well the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me running
Away from you, away from you, awayWell the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me running
Away from you, away from you, away
Got sixteen days
Got a bottle and a rosaryGod I wish that you were close to meI guess I owe you an apology
Got sixteen days
Fifteen of those are nights
Can't sleep when the bed sheet fightsIts way back to your side
Well the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, awayWell the ghost has got me running
Well the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away
Old tin cups, little paper dolls
All wrapped up in ribbons bows and hearts
Old tin cups and little paper dolls
All wrapped up in the ribbons of your heart
I got sixteen days
Sixteen days
I got sixteen days
It's like a fool I am
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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 think that the line in the first stanza is actually "shoulda wore my wedding ring"- i.e. the protagonist should have kept his wedding ring on rather than stepping out on his wife on those 15 nights/16 days.