"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.
Drinking, drugged up, completely shot to hell
Left behind, ain't nothing left to sell
Oh, ain't nothing left to sell
The hatred of your blood
So tortured, so insane
Dead ends, lost hope
Keep running through your veins
Oh, running through your veins
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
The loss of one's self
Inside the wheel of doom
Genocide is coming way too soon
Oh, way too soon
The undying fear
The strength of one's demise
Broke and strung out
You wave yourself goodbye
Oh, goodbye
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
Left behind, ain't nothing left to sell
Oh, ain't nothing left to sell
The hatred of your blood
So tortured, so insane
Dead ends, lost hope
Keep running through your veins
Oh, running through your veins
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
The loss of one's self
Inside the wheel of doom
Genocide is coming way too soon
Oh, way too soon
The undying fear
The strength of one's demise
Broke and strung out
You wave yourself goodbye
Oh, goodbye
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
One of the best songs to slam beers too. This song is about going balls to the wall and just completely loseing controll. This song fucking rocks ! !