"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.
It's not the end of the world
In fact, it's not even the end of the summer
But thank God the TV is on
'Cause there's no way we could know
Anything that's goin' down
Or how we're supposed to be feeling about it
I can't tell you how much I wish we could shut up and smile, yeah
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe I'm a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream and a hug
Take a good look around
Does life really suck
Are we just complaining
I hope that this mic is on (testing 1, 2)
'Cause I'm on a roll here
I hope this is making some sense
I hope that you'll throw up your hands and sing it
And tell all the haters that they should just shut up and smile, yeah
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe I'm a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream
All we need is love and beer
And old school metal and holiday cheer
To be happy
(All you need is someone near)
Like Ben and Jerry
(To hold you close and pretend that they care)
Can we all just, get along now?
We found something that we all have in common now
We can hold hands, do keg stands
Water skiing sounds great to me now
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe we?Re a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream and a hug
(All we need is love and beer)
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
In fact, it's not even the end of the summer
But thank God the TV is on
'Cause there's no way we could know
Anything that's goin' down
Or how we're supposed to be feeling about it
I can't tell you how much I wish we could shut up and smile, yeah
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe I'm a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream and a hug
Take a good look around
Does life really suck
Are we just complaining
I hope that this mic is on (testing 1, 2)
'Cause I'm on a roll here
I hope this is making some sense
I hope that you'll throw up your hands and sing it
And tell all the haters that they should just shut up and smile, yeah
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe I'm a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream
All we need is love and beer
And old school metal and holiday cheer
To be happy
(All you need is someone near)
Like Ben and Jerry
(To hold you close and pretend that they care)
Can we all just, get along now?
We found something that we all have in common now
We can hold hands, do keg stands
Water skiing sounds great to me now
Sail around the world and tell them all to keep singing it
La la la la la la
All we needs a harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
La la la la la la
Throw your arms around someone (throw your arms around someone)
Maybe spread a little love
I know it sounds a little dumb (or maybe we?Re a little drunk)
But all we need is some ice cream and a hug
(All we need is love and beer)
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
All we need is some ice cream and a hug
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"All we need is an ice cream and a hug"
Why can't we all just get along?
I like this.
I LOVE THIS SONG... fuck it's awsome... hilarious
this is the kinda song that is written when one is drunk, and its full of simple bliss love it and dont analyze it, theres no meaning its just fun PEACE!!!!
this song is perfect when you are just so drunk...its hilarious..
I'm guessing that most of Bowling for Soups music was written while intoxicated. I mean seriously, they drunk when I saw them live.. I just Love them!!
Hah I love this song
i was listening to this song and my dad came in and asked if this was the beatles because the line "all you need is" is from the beatles. i wonder if they meant to do that?
ah ha ha i love this song. all we need is some harmony and we'll convince the world to sing
Bowling for soup are incredible! They have to ability to combine wicked music with positive/happy lyrics! They have their slower more meaningful tunes but all in all if i'm sad i listen to them... The simplicity of their songs like Blink 182's are in a class of their own... They prove you don't need to write huge guitar solos to make great music!