"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.
Do you remember all the things we did?
And what it's like to be a kid.
Being young and skipping school,
I guess we must have broken every rule!
I never thought those times would last forever,
But now that they're gone
I'm pretty sure we grew up to fast.
I've had my wishes on a star
I hope that yours came true.
Now all I've got is a memory of you.
[Chorus]
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in the world!
I remember when you moved away,
You promised me that you'd be back one day,
But times have changed and so have I,
It sucks that friendships end
With a goodbye.
I never thought that friendships last forever.
But now that you're gone
I'm pretty sure we end up all the same.
Still I won't say goodbye.
Won't ever say goodbye.
And know that I'll always be your friend.
[Chorus]
And what it's like to be a kid.
Being young and skipping school,
I guess we must have broken every rule!
I never thought those times would last forever,
But now that they're gone
I'm pretty sure we grew up to fast.
I've had my wishes on a star
I hope that yours came true.
Now all I've got is a memory of you.
[Chorus]
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in
Not a worry in the world!
I remember when you moved away,
You promised me that you'd be back one day,
But times have changed and so have I,
It sucks that friendships end
With a goodbye.
I never thought that friendships last forever.
But now that you're gone
I'm pretty sure we end up all the same.
Still I won't say goodbye.
Won't ever say goodbye.
And know that I'll always be your friend.
[Chorus]
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
this song makes me so sad, we have all had those friendships that just fade out because of distance or change or whatever but i think what the song is trying to say is even if we drift apart or whatever happens happens the friendship won't end until we're ready to say goodbye, and in his case he just won't ever say goodbye