"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.
I don't give a damn about you
No nothing can change my mind
No way
I'm happy just to let you walk away
Don't think about you at night
I'm happy to be alone
It's okay
But that was yesterday and now I'm
Drivin' in my car
Words don't get me far
When they don't mean shh (arghhh)
Calling you at three am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
I don't give a damn what you do
I'm going to get with you
Again
And that's the way this night is gonna end
You say that you need some time
How long does it take to see
That we are more than meant to be
And now you're drivin' in you're car
But you won't get far
Cause you're car is shhh (arghh)
Calling you at 3am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
Can't take much more [Repeat x4]
Drivin' in my car
Words don't get me far
When they don't mean shhh (arghh)
Calling you at three am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
No nothing can change my mind
No way
I'm happy just to let you walk away
Don't think about you at night
I'm happy to be alone
It's okay
But that was yesterday and now I'm
Drivin' in my car
Words don't get me far
When they don't mean shh (arghhh)
Calling you at three am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
I don't give a damn what you do
I'm going to get with you
Again
And that's the way this night is gonna end
You say that you need some time
How long does it take to see
That we are more than meant to be
And now you're drivin' in you're car
But you won't get far
Cause you're car is shhh (arghh)
Calling you at 3am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
Can't take much more [Repeat x4]
Drivin' in my car
Words don't get me far
When they don't mean shhh (arghh)
Calling you at three am
And I'm standing here right outside your door
And I don't think that my heart could take much more
Scared of breaking up again
And I just want it to be like it was before
Cause I don't think that my heart could take much more
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
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.
This was just on TV, it reminded me of the reason I don't buy any of Busted's albums.