"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.
We live, we die
And I don't know the reasons we ask why
We hate, we push
Recent tests show we're all misunderstood, yeah
Come on now, something's seizing
You know you lost your mind
You know we all need saving
She found you late last night
You feel the madness gaining
You know you just can't win
You know this, you know this, you know this
But I'm just so tired of waking up on the ground
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I, well, I never knew the girl
We beg, we pray
But everything still happens anyway, yeah
Come on now, something's teasing
Your conscience can't decide
She kept your will from caving
But left you paranoid
You feel the constant straining
She reappears divine
You noticed, you noticed, you noticed
But I'm just so tired of waking up all alone
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I
Hey, hey, hey, I, oh
And I, I'm just so tired of waking up on the ground
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
And I don't know the reasons we ask why
We hate, we push
Recent tests show we're all misunderstood, yeah
Come on now, something's seizing
You know you lost your mind
You know we all need saving
She found you late last night
You feel the madness gaining
You know you just can't win
You know this, you know this, you know this
But I'm just so tired of waking up on the ground
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I, well, I never knew the girl
We beg, we pray
But everything still happens anyway, yeah
Come on now, something's teasing
Your conscience can't decide
She kept your will from caving
But left you paranoid
You feel the constant straining
She reappears divine
You noticed, you noticed, you noticed
But I'm just so tired of waking up all alone
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I
Hey, hey, hey, I, oh
And I, I'm just so tired of waking up on the ground
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
I, well, I never knew the girl
Well, and I never knew the world hurt, I
I, and I
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
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.
It is one of my favorite songs by OLP, It is about how the world is far from prefect, but there is hope is out there. But why would this song be about a guardian angel, because the lyric "we beg, we pray but everything still happens anyway" seems to suggest that God doe'snt answer our prays, and yet the lyric "she appears divine" does suggest that god is there somehow, through the girl. A bit confusing, but still a very awesome song.