"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.
Dear God, Dear God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Dear God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Dear God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God
I hope you got the letter, and
I pray you can make it better down here
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
And all the people that you made in your image, I see
Them starving on their feet
Because they don't get enough to eat
Dear God, I am sorry to disturb, but I was wondering
If you and me could have some words, Are you listening?
'Cause down here people's minds are twisting, turning
Yo, I could feel the devil's heat rise, burning
I believe in believing but am I only dreaming
I try to keep the faith, but the faith is so deceiving
I heard you got the reasons, the answers and why
I heard you be the sun when it shining in my eyes
Who am I to judge or question your existence?
They say you're in the skies on a cloud in the distance
Snakes be hissing, making people lose their religion
Resorting to the depths of hell, distorted vision
The anger's never hidden, whole worlds gone mad
Mothers crying, murders multiplying, All is up for grabs
It's so sad We pray that one-day we'll see the glory
Is this heaven or hell
Or is it purgatory, who knows?
Dear God
I'm sorry to disturb you but I feel that I should be heard
Loud and clear. We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image, I see them fighting
In the streets cause they can't make opinions meet
I chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
Now the seasons
Give me the answers, give me questions, give me reasons
To keep striving live
I be directing every action, movement in my section
Every movement second, now that contains possibility
To delve into the realms of buddhahood,
Heaven, Hell, or misery
Now, that's an ugly situation
Some standing ovations
Then ride the tour bus
Haunted by suicidal contemplations
But I know for sure that I will reach my destination
'Cause my foundation's thicker, everywhere I stand is Mecca
Detect the incorrect sects like an inspector
Bring it to your sector, let the truth be known
I never had time for these false spiritual clones
I found my own
My kingdom and my throne
Most roll with a whole lotta back with no bones
Dear God
I don't know if you notice but
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
Still believing that junk is true
But I know it ain't
So do you
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God
Dear God
Dear God
Dear God, Dear God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Dear God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God
I hope you got the letter, and
I pray you can make it better down here
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
And all the people that you made in your image, I see
Them starving on their feet
Because they don't get enough to eat
Dear God, I am sorry to disturb, but I was wondering
If you and me could have some words, Are you listening?
'Cause down here people's minds are twisting, turning
Yo, I could feel the devil's heat rise, burning
I believe in believing but am I only dreaming
I try to keep the faith, but the faith is so deceiving
I heard you got the reasons, the answers and why
I heard you be the sun when it shining in my eyes
Who am I to judge or question your existence?
They say you're in the skies on a cloud in the distance
Snakes be hissing, making people lose their religion
Resorting to the depths of hell, distorted vision
The anger's never hidden, whole worlds gone mad
Mothers crying, murders multiplying, All is up for grabs
It's so sad We pray that one-day we'll see the glory
Is this heaven or hell
Or is it purgatory, who knows?
Dear God
I'm sorry to disturb you but I feel that I should be heard
Loud and clear. We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image, I see them fighting
In the streets cause they can't make opinions meet
I chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
Now the seasons
Give me the answers, give me questions, give me reasons
To keep striving live
I be directing every action, movement in my section
Every movement second, now that contains possibility
To delve into the realms of buddhahood,
Heaven, Hell, or misery
Now, that's an ugly situation
Some standing ovations
Then ride the tour bus
Haunted by suicidal contemplations
But I know for sure that I will reach my destination
'Cause my foundation's thicker, everywhere I stand is Mecca
Detect the incorrect sects like an inspector
Bring it to your sector, let the truth be known
I never had time for these false spiritual clones
I found my own
My kingdom and my throne
Most roll with a whole lotta back with no bones
Dear God
I don't know if you notice but
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
Still believing that junk is true
But I know it ain't
So do you
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God, Oh My God, Oh My, Oh My, Oh My God
Dear God
Dear God
Dear God
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
This cover is an abomination! Listen to the original version by XTC to hear how the song was REALLY written. It's actually an anti-religion song! Stupid band ruined it...