"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.
Paintings of dogs playing pool
Smoking cigarettes they drink ´til they drool
Well we ain't so dumb, just numb
And tomorrow´s another year
Could you tell us what happened ´cause we weren't here
We've been hitching a ride with a big, fake rubber thumb
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
The ticker tape wants us to fail
And the limousine just drives us to jail
And the concierge can´t tell us where the ladies dance
But you are my friend in miles
Radio waves, stations, and dials and smiles
Cities and towns, slow down
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight...
Smoking cigarettes they drink ´til they drool
Well we ain't so dumb, just numb
And tomorrow´s another year
Could you tell us what happened ´cause we weren't here
We've been hitching a ride with a big, fake rubber thumb
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
The ticker tape wants us to fail
And the limousine just drives us to jail
And the concierge can´t tell us where the ladies dance
But you are my friend in miles
Radio waves, stations, and dials and smiles
Cities and towns, slow down
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight...
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
(This is my ramble, my interpretation is the paragraph below.) This is my favorite Smash Mouth song, more emotion and sense than Fallen Horses in my opinion. The album this song comes on (Smash Mouth (It's eponymous)) I remember owning, the album was amazing when I was a kid. Now that I look back I still enjoy it as my favorite Smash Mouth album, though this song stuck out as did Disenchanted and Keep It Down as unique to the album. Even when I had an assignment in 9th grade to name a song that was the song of my life, I chose this song. I had to use Yahoo meanings to try to decipher the meaning of this song for me, my teacher saw the meaning though. Now I'm taking a gap year from college after graduating from high school writing the occasional morose poem and talking about learning how to play the guitar and speak French (Sadly I'm not joking, don't I sound like a freaking hipster?). This fact reminds me of this song and possibly skewers my interpretation by bringing me to rely on personal experience rather than put myself in the character's shoes. Nonetheless, it's just an opinion. On the hole I love this song and can listen to it five times over at once without getting tired of it. Now below is my interpretation.
Now, after that ramble here's my interpretation of the song: I believe this song wasn't written about Paul Delisle, Steven Harwell, or Greg Camp, but rather written about a mutual friend who felt left behind or even a sort of fictional character who had a friend that was changed by fame. While Smash Mouth was chasing after a mundane form of fame this friend/character was still living in his basement getting stoned "And tomorrow's another year could you tell us what happened 'cause we weren't here." Still, while Smash Mouth is basking in as much fame as they can get "And you're a star now, blinkin' bright" they've left this guy "And you drive so fast now, out of sight" who's desperately seeking help "the ticker tape wants us to fail ... but you are my friend in miles radio waves, stations, and dials, and smiles. Cities and towns, slow down." only to be left in the dust as his old friend drives out of sight as the music fades on the words "out of sight." It annoys me hearing the same Smash Mouth song get overplayed when there are gems like this among it all.