"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.
Everyone speaks at the same time
Everyone wonders "Who am I?"
It'd be sad to blow through time
We never go through the sky
We never know when to die
Lean in to walk
We dreamed up tonight
We all choose to live life
We confuse how with why
Everyday is lost as it goes by
These moments don't compute
And I wind up next to you
All all that I need is a doubt
That's all one that feeds the mouth
One simple means is to leave it by the door
One time to play is the time you play for
And you never set a limit
Lean in to walk
There's nothing missing from life
Don't ever set a limit.
Everyone wonders "Who am I?"
It'd be sad to blow through time
We never go through the sky
We never know when to die
Lean in to walk
We dreamed up tonight
We all choose to live life
We confuse how with why
Everyday is lost as it goes by
These moments don't compute
And I wind up next to you
All all that I need is a doubt
That's all one that feeds the mouth
One simple means is to leave it by the door
One time to play is the time you play for
And you never set a limit
Lean in to walk
There's nothing missing from life
Don't ever set a limit.
Lyrics submitted by hyphen15
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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."
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.
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.
I could be way off as to his meaning, but here's what it's meant for me:
"Everyone speaks at the same time"
It could be that we don't listen to each other, but talk at the same time. We're not interested in communicating, only driving home our points and perceptions.
It could be that speaking is actually existing, and everyone alive is speaking simultaneously. Maybe it's chaotic.
"Everyone wonders 'Who am I?'"
We're all actors in our own movies. We sell pieces of our invented to each person we meet, tailoring them to fit each new situation. None of us knows who we are, only who we're accustomed at pretending to be.
"It'd be sad to blow through time"
It would be sad to waste this one chance we have at living.
"We never go through the sky"
We're trapped here in this cage called Earth. We don't transcend this trap.
"We never know when to die"
We're not sure there's a point to life, and therefore don't know when to cease living. Is there something we should wait around for? Does another year make a difference?
"Lean in to walk We dreamed up tonight"
Our lives are just long dreams. They're whatever our mind makes the out to be. It's unreal.
"We all choose to live life We confuse how with why"
We choose life each day we're alive, having not yet decided to die. We confuse our images, our jobs, our possessions, and other "hows" of our existences with the "why", or reason, that we live.
"Everyday is lost as it goes by These moments don't compute"
Today passes and becomes the past. It's lost as it goes by, becoming illusions. Nothing computes, or makes logical sense.
"And I wind up next to you All all that I need is a doubt That's all one that feeds the mouth One simple means is to leave it by the door"
I'm a little lost here (ironically, as the song is called "A Doubt"). Anyway, the only thing I can gather from this is that he needs a doubt (hope of something, maybe?) that can feed him (maybe feed him a reason to live). This "food" being left by the door reminds me of people who lock themselves in rooms (due to mental breakdowns, depression, etc.) and won't come out. Food's left by their door (in this case, hope, or "a doubt" is left by his door). Maybe it's left by the person he finds himself next to. Sorry if this is way, way off.
"One time to play is the time you play for"
This one life is the one you're living for.
"And you never set a limit"
Why limit it, this being your only chance?
"Lean in to walk There's nothing missing from life"
Life, with its joys and sorrows, contains everything we need to be fulfilled. Why live for ideals never attained when the life in front of you has everything you've ever needed?
"Don't ever set a limit."
Again, live this one life as fully as you can. Don't restrict yourself, because this is all you have.