"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.
Everybody needs a little place they can hide
Somewhere to call their own
Don't let nobody inside
Every now and then we all need to let go
For some it's the doctor
For me it's rock and roll
For some it's a bottle
For some it's a pill
Some people wave the Bible
Cause it's giving them a thrill
Others point their finger
If they don't like what they see
If you live in a glass house
Don't be throwing rocks at me
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
Check out Mr. Politician in his suit and tie
But when the doors are closed
There ain't nothin' he won't try
Meanwhine Mr. Medicine's
treating his best friend's wife
Tipper lead the war against the record industry
She said she saw the devil on her MTV
To look into the cabinet
It takes more than a key
Just like Jimmy's skeletons
And his ministry
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
Hit it now
For some it's the needle
For some it's the kill
Some people wave the Bible
'Cause it's giving them a thrill
You can spend your money
Before you get your pay
With a toss of the dice
You can piss it all away
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
Somewhere to call their own
Don't let nobody inside
Every now and then we all need to let go
For some it's the doctor
For me it's rock and roll
For some it's a bottle
For some it's a pill
Some people wave the Bible
Cause it's giving them a thrill
Others point their finger
If they don't like what they see
If you live in a glass house
Don't be throwing rocks at me
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
Check out Mr. Politician in his suit and tie
But when the doors are closed
There ain't nothin' he won't try
Meanwhine Mr. Medicine's
treating his best friend's wife
Tipper lead the war against the record industry
She said she saw the devil on her MTV
To look into the cabinet
It takes more than a key
Just like Jimmy's skeletons
And his ministry
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
Hit it now
For some it's the needle
For some it's the kill
Some people wave the Bible
'Cause it's giving them a thrill
You can spend your money
Before you get your pay
With a toss of the dice
You can piss it all away
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper to get us by
We all need a little shelter
Just a little helper ooo, and it'll be alright
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
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/
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.
Best Cinderella song in my opinion. So upbeat and makes you want to dance! Anyway I think the song is about how sometimes people need to just get away from everything. But for everyone its diffrent. Some do drugs, some turn to religion and some turn to good old Rock N Roll to get away from everything!