"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.
Integrity of construction
The best money can buy
Her size is greater than any
A Belfast shipyard's pride
Signal flags spelled out the word "Success"
On her maneuvering trials
Preservers and lifeboats were not in excess
Unsinkable, no plans to save lives
Athinai reports icebergs and field ice
At seven bells ahead just five miles
A black hulk against the night's darkness
Disaster along starboard side
Full speed astern were the orders
It would do them no good
No apparent collision
A rip deep below the waterline
Come at once, we have struck a berg
Interference in transmission
The newest, largest ship afloat
Had two hours to live
Lower all lifeboats, we have too few!
Women and children first!
Distress rockets fill the air
Abandom Ship!"
Sinking faster, every light ablaze
Machinery, engines, crashing to the bow
Arching vertical, stern points to the sky
The great ship fractured
Everyone must die
Watching their families make it to safety
Fifteen hundred went down
The orchestra played to the last moment
An eerie almost unreal sound
The calm and ice North Atlantic
Titanic's burial ground
The best money can buy
Her size is greater than any
A Belfast shipyard's pride
Signal flags spelled out the word "Success"
On her maneuvering trials
Preservers and lifeboats were not in excess
Unsinkable, no plans to save lives
Athinai reports icebergs and field ice
At seven bells ahead just five miles
A black hulk against the night's darkness
Disaster along starboard side
Full speed astern were the orders
It would do them no good
No apparent collision
A rip deep below the waterline
Come at once, we have struck a berg
Interference in transmission
The newest, largest ship afloat
Had two hours to live
Lower all lifeboats, we have too few!
Women and children first!
Distress rockets fill the air
Abandom Ship!"
Sinking faster, every light ablaze
Machinery, engines, crashing to the bow
Arching vertical, stern points to the sky
The great ship fractured
Everyone must die
Watching their families make it to safety
Fifteen hundred went down
The orchestra played to the last moment
An eerie almost unreal sound
The calm and ice North Atlantic
Titanic's burial ground
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
Yeh, it's a climax of terror in the Titanic sinking.