"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.
Damn how I'ma say this shit?
Hey, hey dad, yeah, it's your boy
Remember me? I wanna talk to you scrap
I remember being kicked out the house
'Cause I looked just like you
Said I'd be nothing but a crook
Just like you
The niggas in the hood was shook
Where the just like you
'Cause all they said was little whitey look
I'm just like you
But dog I can't see it at all, shit
We never kicked it at all
We never pitched or kicked at a ball
Dog, you never taught me shit
How to fight, ride a bike, fix the flat
None of that sorts of shit
Nigga you was an abusive pop
Fuck you left me out to dry, stuck
Gotta teach news to box
Gotta teach news to bop
And that ain't the half of it man
I gotta teach news to block
It's about time we have a father to son (nigga sit down)
Sit down let me tell you 'bout your fatherless sons
How they grew to be men and father they sons
Father they daughters
Nigga, you left a fatherless daughter
I never follow your orders
Nigga you make me sick
Pussy you could, ooh
How you gonna leave these memories in the back of my mind
I can see it clear as day you smackin' my mom
I 'member that day you showed me that gat, that 9
Put it in my palm when I was young
And said that would be mine, you turned me out
The reason why I hit the block
Reason why I tried to hit them cops
Reason why I started hittin' shots
Reason why I started gettin' licked
And drinkin' syrup and skippin' court
Ginger bread man never think of gettin' caught
Look at your hands man damn you fought
Nigga you left my mom
Left us with no good-bye's
You left us out to dry
You left us with no letters, notes (nothing), no replies
No digits numbers was unlisted
You left me with some of my loneliest nights
Nigga some of my hungriest nights
Shit, one of the reasons for years (shit embarrasin')
Damn we used to think money was white
Yeah you gave us life like, fruit from a plant
We ain't eat right from them foods from them stamps
And to think you was my pop
Man I gotta stop, shit
Daddy, where have you been?
And when you come home, you got us here all alone
Mommy, where daddy went?
You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
Mommy, what happened then?
What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Daddy, where have you been?
Nigga, you gon' hear me out
I wanted to walk just like you (remember?)
Wanted to talk just like you (word)
Often momma said I look too much and I thought just like you
Wanted to drink Miller nips and smoke Newports just like you
But you left me, now I'm goin' to court just like you
I would say, "My daddy loves me and he'll never go away"
Bullshit, do you even remember December's my birthday?
Do you even remember the tender boy
You turned into a cold young man
With one goal and one plan
Get mommy out of some jam, she was always in one
Always short with the income
Always late with the rent
You said that you was comin' through
I would stay in the hallway (waitin')
Always playin' the bench (waitin')
And that day came and went
Fuck you very much, you showed me the worst kind of pain
But I'm stronger and trust me I will never hurt again
Will never ask mommy, "Why daddy don't love me?
Why is we so poor?, Why is life so ugly?
Mommy why is your eyes puffy?"
Please don't cry everything'll be alright
I know it's dark now, but we gon' see the light
It's us against the world
We don't need him, right? (Right)
Mommy drivin' 6's now (yeah), I got riches now (yeah)
I bought I nice home for both of my sisters now
We doin' real good
We don't miss you now
See how life twists around, fucker?
Daddy, where have you been?
And when you come home, you got us here all alone
Mommy, where daddy went?
You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
Mommy, what happened then?
What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Daddy, where have you been?
Nigga, you gon' hear me out
Hey, hey dad, yeah, it's your boy
Remember me? I wanna talk to you scrap
I remember being kicked out the house
'Cause I looked just like you
Said I'd be nothing but a crook
Just like you
The niggas in the hood was shook
Where the just like you
'Cause all they said was little whitey look
I'm just like you
But dog I can't see it at all, shit
We never kicked it at all
We never pitched or kicked at a ball
Dog, you never taught me shit
How to fight, ride a bike, fix the flat
None of that sorts of shit
Nigga you was an abusive pop
Fuck you left me out to dry, stuck
Gotta teach news to box
Gotta teach news to bop
And that ain't the half of it man
I gotta teach news to block
It's about time we have a father to son (nigga sit down)
Sit down let me tell you 'bout your fatherless sons
How they grew to be men and father they sons
Father they daughters
Nigga, you left a fatherless daughter
I never follow your orders
Nigga you make me sick
Pussy you could, ooh
How you gonna leave these memories in the back of my mind
I can see it clear as day you smackin' my mom
I 'member that day you showed me that gat, that 9
Put it in my palm when I was young
And said that would be mine, you turned me out
The reason why I hit the block
Reason why I tried to hit them cops
Reason why I started hittin' shots
Reason why I started gettin' licked
And drinkin' syrup and skippin' court
Ginger bread man never think of gettin' caught
Look at your hands man damn you fought
Nigga you left my mom
Left us with no good-bye's
You left us out to dry
You left us with no letters, notes (nothing), no replies
No digits numbers was unlisted
You left me with some of my loneliest nights
Nigga some of my hungriest nights
Shit, one of the reasons for years (shit embarrasin')
Damn we used to think money was white
Yeah you gave us life like, fruit from a plant
We ain't eat right from them foods from them stamps
And to think you was my pop
Man I gotta stop, shit
Daddy, where have you been?
And when you come home, you got us here all alone
Mommy, where daddy went?
You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
Mommy, what happened then?
What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Daddy, where have you been?
Nigga, you gon' hear me out
I wanted to walk just like you (remember?)
Wanted to talk just like you (word)
Often momma said I look too much and I thought just like you
Wanted to drink Miller nips and smoke Newports just like you
But you left me, now I'm goin' to court just like you
I would say, "My daddy loves me and he'll never go away"
Bullshit, do you even remember December's my birthday?
Do you even remember the tender boy
You turned into a cold young man
With one goal and one plan
Get mommy out of some jam, she was always in one
Always short with the income
Always late with the rent
You said that you was comin' through
I would stay in the hallway (waitin')
Always playin' the bench (waitin')
And that day came and went
Fuck you very much, you showed me the worst kind of pain
But I'm stronger and trust me I will never hurt again
Will never ask mommy, "Why daddy don't love me?
Why is we so poor?, Why is life so ugly?
Mommy why is your eyes puffy?"
Please don't cry everything'll be alright
I know it's dark now, but we gon' see the light
It's us against the world
We don't need him, right? (Right)
Mommy drivin' 6's now (yeah), I got riches now (yeah)
I bought I nice home for both of my sisters now
We doin' real good
We don't miss you now
See how life twists around, fucker?
Daddy, where have you been?
And when you come home, you got us here all alone
Mommy, where daddy went?
You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
Mommy, what happened then?
What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Daddy, where have you been?
Nigga, you gon' hear me out
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
I can't believe theres no comments on this. Its actually hard for me to listen to this sometimes, Amazing track.
This song IS an amazing track...
Easily understood...and really true lines...
My favorite..."Damn, we used to think money was white."
I'm not from a ghetto or anything but I was adopted and I know what it's like to just sit outside a locked house for hours....
this song is deep. my favorite part is "i would say my daddy loves me and he'll never go away/ bullshit do you even remember december's my birthday?" yup i have problems with my dad too and i can relate
this song is crazy man. of course it means more if you can relate so.