"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.
A world of difference
A world so out of touch
Overwhelmed by everything
But wanting more so much
Call it blind frustration
Call it blind man's bluff
Call each other names
Your voices rude
Your voices rough
Then you learn the lesson
That it's cool to be so tough
Handle with kid gloves
Handle with kid gloves
Then you learn the lessons
Taught in school won't be enough
Put on your kid gloves
Put on your kid gloves
Then you learn the lesson
That it's cool to be so tough
A world of indifference
Heads and hearts too full
Careless of the consequence
Of constant push and pull
Anger got bare knuckles
Anger play the fool
Anger wear a crown of thorns
Reverse the golden rule
Then you learn the lesson
That it's tough to be so cool
Handle with kid gloves
Handle with kid gloves
Then you learn the weapons
And the ways of hard-knock school
Put on your kid gloves
Put on your kid gloves
Then you learn the lesson
That it's tough to be so cool
A world so out of touch
Overwhelmed by everything
But wanting more so much
Call it blind frustration
Call it blind man's bluff
Call each other names
Your voices rude
Your voices rough
Then you learn the lesson
That it's cool to be so tough
Handle with kid gloves
Handle with kid gloves
Then you learn the lessons
Taught in school won't be enough
Put on your kid gloves
Put on your kid gloves
Then you learn the lesson
That it's cool to be so tough
A world of indifference
Heads and hearts too full
Careless of the consequence
Of constant push and pull
Anger got bare knuckles
Anger play the fool
Anger wear a crown of thorns
Reverse the golden rule
Then you learn the lesson
That it's tough to be so cool
Handle with kid gloves
Handle with kid gloves
Then you learn the weapons
And the ways of hard-knock school
Put on your kid gloves
Put on your kid gloves
Then you learn the lesson
That it's tough to be so cool
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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 think it's implying that you have to do things the hard way sometimes. Kids are new to some things, and so they don't know the outcome whatever new thing they're trying. Most likely they make mistakes the first time, or even a second third or the hundredth time. But finally they learn the lessons.
And then taking that and incorporating that with school, it really sends a message of what it's like to be in school. People have reps, belong to groups. Popularity is a huge factor, and they talk more about that in Subdivisions. Overall, this is a great song. Neil Peart has an awesome imagination, and is a true artist with his poetry. (That's what it is, though, is poetry. All songs come from written poems.)
@NUMBER 4 Yes, definitely. I think one other thing that I got out of this song was kind of the same ideas that are being expressed in a lot of recent TED talks and such, about how new school systems and too much group collaboration in schools are kind of destroying kids' independent minds.
I believe that this song is about people who can't grow up and mature. Their lack of responsibility, outlook on life and habits (like being a "tough" guy, the class clown or a drama queen) from their adolescence stay with them through adulthood. That is, however, until they realize that the way they're living is negatively affecting themselves and others and make the decision to change.
Kid gloves were made from the hide of a goat because it is very soft. They were worn when holding something very delicate to prevent damage to it. Lessons from whoshere.
This is one of my favorite Rush songs. To me, it's all about stages of maturity, about learning to avoid conflict by being careful about how we treat others and their beliefs. I'm particularly fond of the clever reversal that begins with "it's cool to be so tough" but concludes with it's "tough to be so cool." I think everyone can identify with that progression of understanding, but it takes a poet like Neil Peart to articulate it so beautifully.
I cant believe that no-one has commented on this song yet, its amazing! the melody is amazing, and the song has such bounce and purpose, it really is irrepresable! but yeah, the lyrics deal with finding ones way in school and such like. Aah, school daze.
I agree with Number 4 completely
Its saying that we need to handle things with caution,
Its saying that we need to handle things with caution,
i think that the song is more edging towards capitalism where you have to try and try and fail but the lessons you learn along the way are going to be priceless.
This is the only song on the album whose title phrase actually occurs within the lyrics.
@jerambam - The Enemy Within also occurs within the lyrics of that song. But otherwise interesting that only 2 out of the 8 songs on that album are mentioned in the lyrics. I never noticed that before.