"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.
Shadows they fall on the stage of your own life
Trailing behind footsteps
There's comfort in ghosts who are no longer with you
Hiding behind your death
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I fall from grace
Well just listen
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta let yourself go
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Hiding in my asylum I'm always
Hanging on by a thread
I can't expect you to respect me unil I've
Learned to respect myself
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I miss your face
Well just listen
Well just listen
Sometimes
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta let yourself go
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Oh the love you're bringing back
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I fall from grace
Well just listen
Sometimes
Sometimes
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta teach yourself
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Oh the love you're bringing back
Oh the love you're bringing back
Sometimes
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
You gotta go for a while
Trailing behind footsteps
There's comfort in ghosts who are no longer with you
Hiding behind your death
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I fall from grace
Well just listen
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta let yourself go
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Hiding in my asylum I'm always
Hanging on by a thread
I can't expect you to respect me unil I've
Learned to respect myself
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I miss your face
Well just listen
Well just listen
Sometimes
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta let yourself go
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Oh the love you're bringing back
I let you down you've lost your taste
I'm losing ground I fall from grace
Well just listen
Sometimes
Sometimes
Sometimes
You gotta set free what you love just to bring it back
Would you ever lose me
Would you ever let go for that
And if the love is real you gotta teach yourself
Just to bring it back
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
Oh the love you're bringing back
Oh the love you're bringing back
Sometimes
Sometimes
Just to bring it back
You gotta go for a while
Lyrics submitted by mandapandawong
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Fast Car
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the first verse never fit to me. but the rest of it- it;'s letting someone go because you know for the time being it will be better. i see him depressed (hence verse one and shadows) and he needs to let go of the person he loves in order to understand how much he needs them and stop hurting them (i've let you down you've lost your taste). and his insecurities make him wonder if he's worth that much to that person. ":would you ever lose me..." it's a test for their relationshop. because he believes in fate, that it'll all come back to him if it's meant to be.
this is definitely an awesome song... i really think Nine Days is one of the best bands out there that didnt make it as far as they should have, but maybe thats for the better. their album 'the madding crowd' is completely wonderful. this song has the best message that sometimes maybe it is better to break up, in order to really see if there is anything to the relationship, if u miss each other, etc. im going through this right now, and i hope he will come back...
Chameleonica I totally agreed with you about nine days being one of the best bands, and you know, who cares if people don't realizes that, as long as we, their fans keep being loyal to their music. Ok this song is quite clear I think, and also I think that at least we have all being in a similar situation of whta the song describes. Because it is about letting go the person you're totally in love with. the line "Sometimes just to bring it back you gotta go for a while" is like giving so time to a relashonsip or to a person to think about so many things. Even though letting go is one of the hardest things we ever learn to do, we got to do it. Not because we want to but because is a part of loving. letting go someone to be happy even though your own heart will be broken "shadows they fall on the stage of your own life". sometimes when this person loves you back he will return, also is like questioning if they will let you go too "Would you ever lose me, would you ever let go for that". so "if the love is real you gotta let yourself go" is so sad and great! I relate a lot with it, is so sweet!
I love NINE DAYS!
i interpret this song a little bit differently. i think that the guy is saying he is the one that needs the space to deal with some issues, and he knows that the girl thinks she'll lose him but he's telling her, "no...you see, i love you - i just have some stuff to deal with."