"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.
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Gimme the ring, kissed and told
Gimme something that I missed (gimme the ring)
A hand to hold, wild and what it seems (gimme the ring)
Kill the king with love is the law
And then we'll turn round (gimme the ring)
Gimme dream child
And do you hear me call? (Gimme the ring)
On the loan and on the level
Still on the floor (gimme the ring)
Sing dream child
And do you hear at all?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
Hey
Hey hey
Hey
Hey hey
Ooh ooh ooh (hey hey)
Ooh ooh ooh (hey hey)
Hey now, hey now now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Gimme siren, child and do you hear me?
Gimme siren, child, and do you hear me call?
Sing, child, of right and wrong
Gimme things that don't last long
Gimme siren, child, and do you hear me call?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
On days like this
In times like these
I feel an animal deep inside
Heel to haunch on bended knees
Living on if and if I tried
Somebody send me please
Dream wars and a ticket to seem
Giving out and in
Selling the don't belong
Well, what do you say
D'you have a word for giving away?
Got a song for me?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
I got nothing to say I ain't said before
I bled all I can, I won't bleed no more
I don't need no one to understand
Why the blood run hold
The hired hand
On heart
Hand of god
Flood land and driven apart
Run cold (hey now, hey now now)
Turn
Cold, burn like a healing hand
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Gimme the ring, kissed and told
Gimme something that I missed (gimme the ring)
A hand to hold, wild and what it seems (gimme the ring)
Kill the king with love is the law
And then we'll turn round (gimme the ring)
Gimme dream child
And do you hear me call? (Gimme the ring)
On the loan and on the level
Still on the floor (gimme the ring)
Sing dream child
And do you hear at all?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
Hey
Hey hey
Hey
Hey hey
Ooh ooh ooh (hey hey)
Ooh ooh ooh (hey hey)
Hey now, hey now now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Hey hey hey ye hey now no now now
Gimme siren, child and do you hear me?
Gimme siren, child, and do you hear me call?
Sing, child, of right and wrong
Gimme things that don't last long
Gimme siren, child, and do you hear me call?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
On days like this
In times like these
I feel an animal deep inside
Heel to haunch on bended knees
Living on if and if I tried
Somebody send me please
Dream wars and a ticket to seem
Giving out and in
Selling the don't belong
Well, what do you say
D'you have a word for giving away?
Got a song for me?
(Sing)
(Sing)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now
I got nothing to say I ain't said before
I bled all I can, I won't bleed no more
I don't need no one to understand
Why the blood run hold
The hired hand
On heart
Hand of god
Flood land and driven apart
Run cold (hey now, hey now now)
Turn
Cold, burn like a healing hand
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me (like a healing hand)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
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.
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.
This song is actually an attack on Wayne Hussey.