"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.
You know what?
Everybody goes through some changes in life
Some poeple change for the better, some poeple change for the worse
But umm, some people need to make that change
You know what I mean? Change is good sometimes. You know?
[Verse 1]
Why would I change? I ain't never slide down a bad pole
Even though I'm certified over plat's sold
They say I'm different ''cause I ride in a plat. Rolls
But every time, we gotta ride don't this cat roll?
I never snitch, and go and hide in a rat hole
And I ain't givin' you nothing besides what this gat hold
No pride, I ain't that old
Cut off a few, but kept a few girls I decide like I'm ??
It probably don't seem like a struggle
But I used to dream that this thug'll balance beams just to smuggle
It's funny same girls that didn't seem like they'd love you
Is beggin'for your autographs ands screamin' to hug you
It's crazy, same dudes that seem like they thug you
Is prayin' on your downfall, schemin' to mug you
And people that didn't give a fuck, is dreamin' to bug you
And goin through' extreme's just to plug you, who really changed?
[Chorus]
This game ain't change me, so don't let it change you
If you've been real with me, I'm still real with you
If you got love for me, I still got love for you
If you down for me, then I'm still down for you
If you don't fuck with me, then I don't fuck with you
If you ain't cool with me, then I ain't cool with you
If you won't ride with me, then I won't ride for you
This game ain't change me, don't let it change you
[Verse 2]
Why would I change? I didn't step out of Superman's phone booth
To remind where I'm from, I look at my own tooth
I'm speakin' the known truth
I ain't been living the same, since I moved under Silvia Rone's roof
Why would I feel like I'm a stranger?
And why should I feel like I'm in danger?
And I'm grindin' 'till I'm right
Whether it's on the streets, or online tryna climb sites
I ain't blind from the limelite,
I had my mind and my rhymes right, and signed when the time's right
People shouldn't be hateful, they should be grateful
But fuck it, I guess I gotta keep my three eight full
I'm playin, the game, like I'm, supposed
Stayin, the same, like I'm, supposed
Ghetto Fab in da house, hip hop hustler
One million customers, and I still bust at ya
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Why would I change when I get green like the Incredible Hulk?
I've chilled with the richest people to the ghettoest folks
Known a few ?? and met a few locs
Made a few comments, and said a few jokes
But it's gettin' me sick, someone prescribe me some medicine
Before the fame, the vibe was way better then
Some have even became rivals instead of friends
Only two become liable for settlements
I grew up watchin the
Now they hate to see a nigga drivin' the better Benz
That's why the clubs be, deprivin' to let us in
They know the family bring knives and barettas in
I'm thankful for being allowed, fans for being the crowd
How could my head be in the clouds?
It's strange, what the fame'll do
But you know what? The only one who seen the change from the fame is you
[Chorus]
I'm the same nigga man
Same nigga, that ridin' with you
Niggas that's fuckin' with you
I'm still fuckin' with you niggas
The same nigga, these hoe's ain't like
Now they on my dick right? Haha... shit is crazy
Don't let this game change you nigga...
Everybody goes through some changes in life
Some poeple change for the better, some poeple change for the worse
But umm, some people need to make that change
You know what I mean? Change is good sometimes. You know?
[Verse 1]
Why would I change? I ain't never slide down a bad pole
Even though I'm certified over plat's sold
They say I'm different ''cause I ride in a plat. Rolls
But every time, we gotta ride don't this cat roll?
I never snitch, and go and hide in a rat hole
And I ain't givin' you nothing besides what this gat hold
No pride, I ain't that old
Cut off a few, but kept a few girls I decide like I'm ??
It probably don't seem like a struggle
But I used to dream that this thug'll balance beams just to smuggle
It's funny same girls that didn't seem like they'd love you
Is beggin'for your autographs ands screamin' to hug you
It's crazy, same dudes that seem like they thug you
Is prayin' on your downfall, schemin' to mug you
And people that didn't give a fuck, is dreamin' to bug you
And goin through' extreme's just to plug you, who really changed?
[Chorus]
This game ain't change me, so don't let it change you
If you've been real with me, I'm still real with you
If you got love for me, I still got love for you
If you down for me, then I'm still down for you
If you don't fuck with me, then I don't fuck with you
If you ain't cool with me, then I ain't cool with you
If you won't ride with me, then I won't ride for you
This game ain't change me, don't let it change you
[Verse 2]
Why would I change? I didn't step out of Superman's phone booth
To remind where I'm from, I look at my own tooth
I'm speakin' the known truth
I ain't been living the same, since I moved under Silvia Rone's roof
Why would I feel like I'm a stranger?
And why should I feel like I'm in danger?
And I'm grindin' 'till I'm right
Whether it's on the streets, or online tryna climb sites
I ain't blind from the limelite,
I had my mind and my rhymes right, and signed when the time's right
People shouldn't be hateful, they should be grateful
But fuck it, I guess I gotta keep my three eight full
I'm playin, the game, like I'm, supposed
Stayin, the same, like I'm, supposed
Ghetto Fab in da house, hip hop hustler
One million customers, and I still bust at ya
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Why would I change when I get green like the Incredible Hulk?
I've chilled with the richest people to the ghettoest folks
Known a few ?? and met a few locs
Made a few comments, and said a few jokes
But it's gettin' me sick, someone prescribe me some medicine
Before the fame, the vibe was way better then
Some have even became rivals instead of friends
Only two become liable for settlements
I grew up watchin the
Now they hate to see a nigga drivin' the better Benz
That's why the clubs be, deprivin' to let us in
They know the family bring knives and barettas in
I'm thankful for being allowed, fans for being the crowd
How could my head be in the clouds?
It's strange, what the fame'll do
But you know what? The only one who seen the change from the fame is you
[Chorus]
I'm the same nigga man
Same nigga, that ridin' with you
Niggas that's fuckin' with you
I'm still fuckin' with you niggas
The same nigga, these hoe's ain't like
Now they on my dick right? Haha... shit is crazy
Don't let this game change you nigga...
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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,
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.
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.
" This game ain't change me, so don't let it change you If you've been real with me, I'm still real with you If you got love for me, I still got love for you If you down for me, then I'm still down for you If you don't fuck with me, then I don't fuck with you If you ain't cool with me, then I ain't cool with you If you won't ride with me, then I won't ride for you This game ain't change me, don't let it change you "
Damn straight.