"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.
[Joe Budden]
Ok, haha (let's do it)
Let's rock and rip AIYOO!! (Jump Off)
Let's do it like, we gon' do it like
Rock, rip it AIYOO!!
AIYOO! (yeah) AIYOO!
Rock and rip it let's go!
You know I had to do one right?
AIYOO! Fa' sho
[Verse: Joe Budden]
Still on my grind homie
The top pick you right pie homie
Long John weather ducking one time homie
Dealt wit the nine chromie and the 4-4 old
Need something to blast off by remote control let's go!
No burger fool the pimp game is all crunk (LL: like a 70's movie)
Yeah! lil' lady wanna peel that whip
Can't even let you shotgun it wit a heel that thick
Ma! wanted foreplay I showed her the realest
She asked me to go downtown I drove to the village you know!
Half a Belve' baboo gets nada
I repeated myself for it, but you ain't swallow
Breathe! come on boo stop the bullquick
Get your head down, DUCK like you doding bullets AIYOO!
On the low now, remix, it's about to go down ladies
[Chorus]
[QD:] Ladies! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand Joe!
[JB:] Get focused man cause whether H2 or Rover man
We do enough AIYOO!
[LL:] Uh! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand, uh!
[JB:] Sing the track now, pause
[QD:] Stop playing man bring it back now
[Verse: LL Cool J]
WHOO! I like the way that sounds
The moaning and the groaning L holding it down
Until the box wouldn't drowned
Yo actresses bouncing off matresses
(QD: look at how fat this is!)
Perfect to practice wit, matter of fact we get
Even more elaborate, flows immaculate
Who can touch us? the Grand Sire getting cheddar wit my
(QD: Young Queen Dutchess) She on fire!
Low puches, eat em up school lunches
I changed the game I got em doing stomach crunches
I rearranged and repaid my lane
Bounced off the guard rail speeding in the rain and
(JB: crashed back in the game) (QD: you know LL flames)
Focused like the +Red Dragon+ on +Hannibal's+ brain
Got them H2 Hummers for the summers no game
I'm rich already I'm just a luggin brigade
[Chorus]
[QD:] Ladies! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand Joe!
[JB:] Get focused man cause whether hoopty or chaffeur man
We do enough AIYOO!
[LL:] Uh! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand, uh!
[JB:] Sing the track now, pause
[QD:] Stop playing man bring it back now
[Verse: Queen Dutchess] (LL Cool J)
When Dutch pull up to the club in the CL snug
Don't worry bout the details love (uh uh)
So much glow they think I'm radioactive
First single drop radio-active (yeah yeah)
Just remember I'm the chick that don't let the track live
Dudes'll hear the flow and forget I'm attractive (never)
Wit LL standing close the Dutch hit it out the park like Sammy Sosa
(Joey go again!)
[Verse: Joe Budden] (LL Cool J)
OG watch me thug you Hepher
(Easy Joe I'll show you how to 'Luv Em Better' ya know)
Jump Off I don't love em at all
I knock em down at the crib drop em back at the mall (it's like that)
Stand out for your chain won't you go untold
Now cheatings alright long as I don't go broke (whoa)
Sing the track now, pause (QD: stop playing man bring it back now)
Friday - I ain't gotta tuck the Eagle
Cause I'm sliding in the back door just ta vinyl
Saturday - we white tee, your man'll get tied up
Later rolling pimp wit some girly and plan to rock
Sunday - Sunday I'm catching flight on a broad
She looked way better the night before it was kinda dark AIYOO!
Sing the track now pause... ok
[Outro]
(ad-libs to fade)
Ok, haha (let's do it)
Let's rock and rip AIYOO!! (Jump Off)
Let's do it like, we gon' do it like
Rock, rip it AIYOO!!
AIYOO! (yeah) AIYOO!
Rock and rip it let's go!
You know I had to do one right?
AIYOO! Fa' sho
[Verse: Joe Budden]
Still on my grind homie
The top pick you right pie homie
Long John weather ducking one time homie
Dealt wit the nine chromie and the 4-4 old
Need something to blast off by remote control let's go!
No burger fool the pimp game is all crunk (LL: like a 70's movie)
Yeah! lil' lady wanna peel that whip
Can't even let you shotgun it wit a heel that thick
Ma! wanted foreplay I showed her the realest
She asked me to go downtown I drove to the village you know!
Half a Belve' baboo gets nada
I repeated myself for it, but you ain't swallow
Breathe! come on boo stop the bullquick
Get your head down, DUCK like you doding bullets AIYOO!
On the low now, remix, it's about to go down ladies
[Chorus]
[QD:] Ladies! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand Joe!
[JB:] Get focused man cause whether H2 or Rover man
We do enough AIYOO!
[LL:] Uh! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand, uh!
[JB:] Sing the track now, pause
[QD:] Stop playing man bring it back now
[Verse: LL Cool J]
WHOO! I like the way that sounds
The moaning and the groaning L holding it down
Until the box wouldn't drowned
Yo actresses bouncing off matresses
(QD: look at how fat this is!)
Perfect to practice wit, matter of fact we get
Even more elaborate, flows immaculate
Who can touch us? the Grand Sire getting cheddar wit my
(QD: Young Queen Dutchess) She on fire!
Low puches, eat em up school lunches
I changed the game I got em doing stomach crunches
I rearranged and repaid my lane
Bounced off the guard rail speeding in the rain and
(JB: crashed back in the game) (QD: you know LL flames)
Focused like the +Red Dragon+ on +Hannibal's+ brain
Got them H2 Hummers for the summers no game
I'm rich already I'm just a luggin brigade
[Chorus]
[QD:] Ladies! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand Joe!
[JB:] Get focused man cause whether hoopty or chaffeur man
We do enough AIYOO!
[LL:] Uh! if you focused man
Would you please rock wit it if you overstand, uh!
[JB:] Sing the track now, pause
[QD:] Stop playing man bring it back now
[Verse: Queen Dutchess] (LL Cool J)
When Dutch pull up to the club in the CL snug
Don't worry bout the details love (uh uh)
So much glow they think I'm radioactive
First single drop radio-active (yeah yeah)
Just remember I'm the chick that don't let the track live
Dudes'll hear the flow and forget I'm attractive (never)
Wit LL standing close the Dutch hit it out the park like Sammy Sosa
(Joey go again!)
[Verse: Joe Budden] (LL Cool J)
OG watch me thug you Hepher
(Easy Joe I'll show you how to 'Luv Em Better' ya know)
Jump Off I don't love em at all
I knock em down at the crib drop em back at the mall (it's like that)
Stand out for your chain won't you go untold
Now cheatings alright long as I don't go broke (whoa)
Sing the track now, pause (QD: stop playing man bring it back now)
Friday - I ain't gotta tuck the Eagle
Cause I'm sliding in the back door just ta vinyl
Saturday - we white tee, your man'll get tied up
Later rolling pimp wit some girly and plan to rock
Sunday - Sunday I'm catching flight on a broad
She looked way better the night before it was kinda dark AIYOO!
Sing the track now pause... ok
[Outro]
(ad-libs to fade)
Lyrics submitted by ruben
Focus (Remix) (Feat. LL Cool J & Queen Dutchess) song meanings
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Fast Car
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