"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.
Get busy
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (now, now)
Why don't they just let me live (oh, oh, oh)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative
They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Gettin' girls is how I live
Some ask me questions
Why am I so real
But they don't understand me
I really don't know the deal
About a brother
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Before I win this fight
Sing!
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
Cause what I'm doin'
I'm doin' for you now
Don't get me wrong
I'm really not zooped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships
Really gets me down
I see nothin' wrong
With spreadin' myself around
Sing
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (yeah)
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission (I don't need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
I can do what I wanna do (it's my prerogative)
Truly live my life (it's my prerogative)
I'm doin' it just for you (it's my prerogative)
Tell me, tell me
Why can't I live my life (live my life)
Without all of the things that people say (oh, oh)
Yo tell it, kick it like this
Oh no no
I can do what I wanna do
Me and you
Together, together, together, together, together
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live (why)
(Why don't they just let me live girl)
I don't need permission (I don't need permission)
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live
I don't need permission (I don't need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative
What is this a bizzit that I can't have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me
This world is a trip, I don't know what's going on these days
Got this person over here talking about me, this person
Hey, listen, lemme tell you something
This is my prerogative, I can do what I want to do
I made this money, you didn't
Right Ted?
We outta here
It's my, it's my, it's my, it's my, it's my
My my my my my my my my my my my my my my my
It's my prerogative
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (now, now)
Why don't they just let me live (oh, oh, oh)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative
They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Gettin' girls is how I live
Some ask me questions
Why am I so real
But they don't understand me
I really don't know the deal
About a brother
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Before I win this fight
Sing!
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own decisions (oh)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
Cause what I'm doin'
I'm doin' for you now
Don't get me wrong
I'm really not zooped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships
Really gets me down
I see nothin' wrong
With spreadin' myself around
Sing
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (yeah)
Why don't they just let me live (tell me why)
I don't need permission (I don't need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
I can do what I wanna do (it's my prerogative)
Truly live my life (it's my prerogative)
I'm doin' it just for you (it's my prerogative)
Tell me, tell me
Why can't I live my life (live my life)
Without all of the things that people say (oh, oh)
Yo tell it, kick it like this
Oh no no
I can do what I wanna do
Me and you
Together, together, together, together, together
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live (why)
(Why don't they just let me live girl)
I don't need permission (I don't need permission)
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live
I don't need permission (I don't need)
Make my own decisions (my own decisions)
That's my prerogative
What is this a bizzit that I can't have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me
This world is a trip, I don't know what's going on these days
Got this person over here talking about me, this person
Hey, listen, lemme tell you something
This is my prerogative, I can do what I want to do
I made this money, you didn't
Right Ted?
We outta here
It's my, it's my, it's my, it's my, it's my
My my my my my my my my my my my my my my my
It's my prerogative
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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,
Uhhh... you got a LOT of those lyrics wrong.
But yeah it's a good song.