"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.
Watch me now
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
"California Babylon" is on the 2002 album, together with "Weight on my Mind" (ft. Brody), and the booklet shows a picture of Tim wearing his wedding ring ... so how can the song refer to Brody? Besides, she was not 21 at that time.