"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.
So much beauty in life
Shining on the outside
Empty on the inside
I get lost sometimes
Blinded by the flashing lights
Distractions always in my eyes
So I'm following the sound, the sound of my heart
Beating
[Chorus]
You can take it all away
I don't need it
Underneath, I'll still be the same
You can take it all away
I don't need it, it's not me
You can take it all, take it all away
I'll still be the same
Are you hiding still?
Don't you want to love yourself?
Don't you know that someone will?
Time can turn it around
Leave it all that's dribbled down
That's the only way to find it out
Are you following the sound, the sound of your heart?
Beating
[Chorus]
Coming in with nothing, leaving with the same
It's all inside
Coming in with nothing, the only thing that saves
Is here inside
[Chorus]
Shining on the outside
Empty on the inside
I get lost sometimes
Blinded by the flashing lights
Distractions always in my eyes
So I'm following the sound, the sound of my heart
Beating
[Chorus]
You can take it all away
I don't need it
Underneath, I'll still be the same
You can take it all away
I don't need it, it's not me
You can take it all, take it all away
I'll still be the same
Are you hiding still?
Don't you want to love yourself?
Don't you know that someone will?
Time can turn it around
Leave it all that's dribbled down
That's the only way to find it out
Are you following the sound, the sound of your heart?
Beating
[Chorus]
Coming in with nothing, leaving with the same
It's all inside
Coming in with nothing, the only thing that saves
Is here inside
[Chorus]
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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.
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.
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,
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.
This song IS me. This is how I feel about my life. If you took something or everything away, I could make it through. I love you Ryan and look foward to seeing you live Novenber12th at the McDonald Theater!!!!!!!!!
i saw ryan in concert 2 weeks ago and he sang this song acousticly and before he said that this song is about everyone being into material possesions and that he feels like everyone focuses too much on what they have.. and that he said they could take it all away from him and he'd be ok because he still had god.
this song is my cry song. whenever i feel that i really need to cry but cant bring the tears out i just listen to this song over and over again. i feel like i can hecka relate b/c i dont really care about the material stuff.
this song is my cry song. whenever i feel that i really need to cry but cant bring the tears out i just listen to this song over and over again. i feel like i can hecka relate b/c i dont really care about the material stuff.
beautiful
a song about realizing what matters, and not needing possessions or anything else but one person
I watched an interview when he was in a studio with John Rzenik and he was talking about the song (it was like, 2005. years ago when he was around more... I miss Ryan...), and he said it's about finding something more in life and how you should look beyond worldly possessions... There was more but I haven't seen it in years, so I won't quote anymore, but I love the song and remember those words when I hear it.