"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.
Let's get retarded in here
And the bass keeps running, running and runnin runnin'
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin, and runnin' runnnin' and
In this context, there's no disrespect
So when I bust my rhyme, you break ya necks
We got five minutes for us to disconnect
From all intellect and let the rhythm effect
Obstacles and inhibition follow your intuition
Free your inner soul and break away from tradition
Cause when we be out, girlie's pull their weave out
You wouldn't believe how we wow shit out
Burnin 'til it's burned out, turn it 'til it's turned out
Act up from North West East South
Everbody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Lose control, up outta your soul
Don't move to fast, people, just take it slow
Don't get ahead, just jump into it
Y'all hear about it, the peas will do it
Get started, get stupid
Don't worry about it, people will walk you through it
Step by step like your into new kid
Inch by inch with the new solution
Transmit hits with no delusion
The feeling's irresistible and thats how we move it
Everbody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'
Come on y'all, let's get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Why not get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Why not get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Ohh ohh ohh, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Let's get ill, thats the deal
Apple the gate, and Will bring the thugged out drill (just)
Lose your mind, this is the time
Y'all can't stand still, trust and bang your spine (just)
Bob your head like epilepsy
Up inside the club or in your Bentley
Get messy, loud and sick
You mind pass normal or another head trip
So, come them now, do not correct it
Let's get ignorant, let's get hectic
Everybody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Whoa, cuckoo, cuckoo, in here
Let's get cuckoo, cuckoo in here
Let's get cuckoo, cuckoo in here
Ohh ohh ohh, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and
And the bass keeps running, running and runnin runnin'
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin, and runnin' runnnin' and
In this context, there's no disrespect
So when I bust my rhyme, you break ya necks
We got five minutes for us to disconnect
From all intellect and let the rhythm effect
Obstacles and inhibition follow your intuition
Free your inner soul and break away from tradition
Cause when we be out, girlie's pull their weave out
You wouldn't believe how we wow shit out
Burnin 'til it's burned out, turn it 'til it's turned out
Act up from North West East South
Everbody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Lose control, up outta your soul
Don't move to fast, people, just take it slow
Don't get ahead, just jump into it
Y'all hear about it, the peas will do it
Get started, get stupid
Don't worry about it, people will walk you through it
Step by step like your into new kid
Inch by inch with the new solution
Transmit hits with no delusion
The feeling's irresistible and thats how we move it
Everbody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'
Come on y'all, let's get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Why not get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Why not get (cuckoo), let's get (cuckoo) in here
Ohh ohh ohh, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Let's get ill, thats the deal
Apple the gate, and Will bring the thugged out drill (just)
Lose your mind, this is the time
Y'all can't stand still, trust and bang your spine (just)
Bob your head like epilepsy
Up inside the club or in your Bentley
Get messy, loud and sick
You mind pass normal or another head trip
So, come them now, do not correct it
Let's get ignorant, let's get hectic
Everybody, everybody, just get into it, get stupid
Get retarded, get retarded, get retarded
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here)
Let's get retarded, (ha) let's get retarded (in here) yeah
Whoa, cuckoo, cuckoo, in here
Let's get cuckoo, cuckoo in here
Let's get cuckoo, cuckoo in here
Ohh ohh ohh, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada
And runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and
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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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental 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.
well i know "lets get retarded" means to get drunk or something like that but considering they do have a song called where is the love that basically preaches that racism and any kind of discrimination and things like that are unacceptable, "lets get retarded" is kind of a hypocritical thing to say. even if it has nothing to do with mentally challenged people. retarded can still be a very offensive word to people, especially people who have a family member that is mentally challenged. They could have used a different word to get the point across rather than retarded.