"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.
They looked for the missing link
There's no missing link
They'll never find the missing link
There's no missing link
We're not something
You can figure out with an equation
We are the genetic mutation
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Darwin tried explaining it
Darwin the best he could
Evolution, pretty theory
But how could Darwin know?
That aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
How explain fax machines?
How else explain computer enhancement?
How else explain fiber optics?
How else explain Mozart?
We do not belong here
This planet was a terrarium
Intergalactic broken home
Have to go outer space
And one day find our Daddy
How else explain pay at the pump?
How else explain limited access freeways?
How else explain digital remastering?
Plastic flowers, linoleum, beefalo, Michael Jordan?
Religion?
Astronomy?
Astrology
That looks to the stars
We do not belong here
This planet was a terrarium
Seven billion bastards
Screaming for our Daddy
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
There's no missing link
They'll never find the missing link
There's no missing link
We're not something
You can figure out with an equation
We are the genetic mutation
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Darwin tried explaining it
Darwin the best he could
Evolution, pretty theory
But how could Darwin know?
That aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
How explain fax machines?
How else explain computer enhancement?
How else explain fiber optics?
How else explain Mozart?
We do not belong here
This planet was a terrarium
Intergalactic broken home
Have to go outer space
And one day find our Daddy
How else explain pay at the pump?
How else explain limited access freeways?
How else explain digital remastering?
Plastic flowers, linoleum, beefalo, Michael Jordan?
Religion?
Astronomy?
Astrology
That looks to the stars
We do not belong here
This planet was a terrarium
Seven billion bastards
Screaming for our Daddy
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Aliens came and fucked the monkey
They fucked the monkey
Lyrics submitted by classicleft
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.