"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.
You keep on sayin' that you want to know me
but you never show me your true self.
How can you ever expect someone else to know you
when all you're going to do is just pretend that
you're someone else?
You keep on sayin' that you want to show me
that you're really different, but your just the same.
If you're really mindless then there is no way
that I can win,
maybe you're just one of them,
or maybe it's just a game.
You lie to yourself and remain alone.
I'm not exactly sure of your motivation.
I'm not exactly sure what you're tryin' to do.
All I'm really sure is that you're not too impressive
and you're wearin' a mask
that I can't see through.
Maybe you're not looking for acceptance,
maybe you're striving for something more.
If it's status that you lust then why try to be one of us?
You're someone we'll never trust 'cause we know the score.
but you never show me your true self.
How can you ever expect someone else to know you
when all you're going to do is just pretend that
you're someone else?
You keep on sayin' that you want to show me
that you're really different, but your just the same.
If you're really mindless then there is no way
that I can win,
maybe you're just one of them,
or maybe it's just a game.
You lie to yourself and remain alone.
I'm not exactly sure of your motivation.
I'm not exactly sure what you're tryin' to do.
All I'm really sure is that you're not too impressive
and you're wearin' a mask
that I can't see through.
Maybe you're not looking for acceptance,
maybe you're striving for something more.
If it's status that you lust then why try to be one of us?
You're someone we'll never trust 'cause we know the score.
Lyrics submitted by oofus
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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/
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
Simple as that. Trying to fool yourself and others about what you really are. It's human nature (generally) to try to fit in, and if someone likes how someone else looks or acts, they're more likely than not going to try to copy them in some form or another, even if it's against their nature.