"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 wrote her off for the tenth time today
And practiced all the things I would say
But she came over
I lost my nerve
I took her back and made her desverve
Now I know I'm being used
That's okay man cause I like the abuse
I know she's playing with me
That's okay cause I've got no self esteem
oh yeah, yeah, yeah
We make plans to go out at night
I wait till 2 then I turn out the light
All this rejection's got me so low
If she keeps it up I just might tell her so
When she's saying all that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying all that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care; Right? Yeah!
Now I'll relate this little bit
That happens more than I'd like to admit
Late at night she knocks on my door
She's Drunk again and looking to score
Now I know I should say no
But that's kind of hard when she's ready to go
I may be dumb but I'm not a dweeb
I'm just a sucker with no self esteem
oh yeah, yeah, yeah
When she's saying all that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying all that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care; Right? Yeah!
And practiced all the things I would say
But she came over
I lost my nerve
I took her back and made her desverve
Now I know I'm being used
That's okay man cause I like the abuse
I know she's playing with me
That's okay cause I've got no self esteem
oh yeah, yeah, yeah
We make plans to go out at night
I wait till 2 then I turn out the light
All this rejection's got me so low
If she keeps it up I just might tell her so
When she's saying all that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying all that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care; Right? Yeah!
Now I'll relate this little bit
That happens more than I'd like to admit
Late at night she knocks on my door
She's Drunk again and looking to score
Now I know I should say no
But that's kind of hard when she's ready to go
I may be dumb but I'm not a dweeb
I'm just a sucker with no self esteem
oh yeah, yeah, yeah
When she's saying all that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying all that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care; Right? Yeah!
Lyrics submitted by gothicrocker
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"
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
lol this is hilarious.. i need to see a video clip of this. i can not see amy lee singing that lol
where did you find all these covers, gothicrocker? i have never heard of any of them
i found them by searching like everyone else this cover was performed at a new years eve party and i have the video clip of it
gothicrocker you know where I could get a video clip of that?
what the hell i didnt know they did a cover of self esteem!!
NO! BAD EVANESCENE! i love them to death but oh hell leave the offspring alone!
the offspring's songs are just that...THEIR songs...i can't imagine why you'd want to cover them.
i'm sorry, but this angers me.
Evanescence is the best they can cover any song they wish (within reason) and they can make it good.
I actually dont like Evanescence that much('cept for Imaginary on Origin)...but they did a pretty good job covering this. The original is better though.
Nobody! Is! Allowed! To! Cover! Offspring! SONGS!
it's Just like so.in.love said, offspring's song ARE THE OFFSPRINGS' SONGS and not to anyone else. i love evanescence and all, but i don't completely approve of this....but who cares if i do or don't anyway, hahahaha.
Although i agree the original is better, i adore Evanescence and think they did an awesome job. Its not as though they were planning to sell it or anything, they just decided it was a good song and performed it at one of their concerts. Its funny to listen to it though and hear all the crowd singing along with it.
As for the meaning.....its pretty obvious!