"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'm not much of a natural dancer
But I've got a friend who's a natural dancer
You could call her a jumpin' bean
She's got ants in her pants and she's gonna dance
I know a girl who's a jumpin' bean
She's got keys and a token when she hits the scene
Yeah I know a girl who's got a record machine
She acts like David Lee Roth when he turned 21
I know a girl who's a natural dancer
With a cape and a hat she's a natural dancer
She coughs and she laughs and she makes a lot of calls
And all of the people applaud
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times) As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times)
Can she do the karaoke? Yes she can, but she won't
'Cause she's highly qualified and she's not a joke
When it comes to opera, she is ossified
So all of you operas better step aside
When my friend got amnesia
She can't remember the show she saw
Like the one with the guy with amnesia
Who got off from the island on a helicopter
I know a girl who's a natural dancer
With a cape and a hat she's a natural dancer
She coughs and she laughs and she makes a lot of calls
And all of the people applaud
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times)
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud. (damn good times)
But I've got a friend who's a natural dancer
You could call her a jumpin' bean
She's got ants in her pants and she's gonna dance
I know a girl who's a jumpin' bean
She's got keys and a token when she hits the scene
Yeah I know a girl who's got a record machine
She acts like David Lee Roth when he turned 21
I know a girl who's a natural dancer
With a cape and a hat she's a natural dancer
She coughs and she laughs and she makes a lot of calls
And all of the people applaud
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times) As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times)
Can she do the karaoke? Yes she can, but she won't
'Cause she's highly qualified and she's not a joke
When it comes to opera, she is ossified
So all of you operas better step aside
When my friend got amnesia
She can't remember the show she saw
Like the one with the guy with amnesia
Who got off from the island on a helicopter
I know a girl who's a natural dancer
With a cape and a hat she's a natural dancer
She coughs and she laughs and she makes a lot of calls
And all of the people applaud
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud (damn good times)
As she leaves the store
As she leaves the store (damn good times)
All of the people applaud. (damn good times)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
agree'd!