"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 don't care that flowers grow for you,
And me, and me
You don't know what love is till you see,
Her standing there
A web of skin and nails and hair
A web of skin and nails and hair
And bones and bones,
And thorns
Rushing in, out her hair
You think you are alive, but you are dead
You keep, on driving in your car asleep
I'm driving in your car
I dont know why flowers grow in winter time
The sky turns gray the sun don't shine
And people rush to be on time
For warmth they wrap them selves in woolen cloaks
And hats and scarves
Like larva in their incubators
And drive and drive
[noises]
And drive and drive and drive
Until they get away
And me, and me
You don't know what love is till you see,
Her standing there
A web of skin and nails and hair
A web of skin and nails and hair
And bones and bones,
And thorns
Rushing in, out her hair
You think you are alive, but you are dead
You keep, on driving in your car asleep
I'm driving in your car
I dont know why flowers grow in winter time
The sky turns gray the sun don't shine
And people rush to be on time
For warmth they wrap them selves in woolen cloaks
And hats and scarves
Like larva in their incubators
And drive and drive
[noises]
And drive and drive and drive
Until they get away
Lyrics submitted by tasteslikeG0LD
Lounge Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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."
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/
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.
when i first heard "you don't know what love is til you see her standing there a web of skin and nails and hair a web of skin and nails and hair and bones and bones and thoughts"
i automatically thought of a law in the old testament. it said that if a man wished to marry a female prisoner of war, he had to have her go for a month without cutting her nails, bathing, taking care of her hair, etc, and at the end of the month he decides if he still wants to marry her. perhaps regina is trying to reference this and say that you don't know what love is until you see your loved one at their least attractive and you can truly appreciate them for who they are on the inside.
love this idea, never would have worked that out myself.
That is a very good translation of her thoughts! I also think that it means that some people go on with life, and they are dead inside,not knowing it. They see everything in front of them and keep passing it. Nothing seems to wake them. <br /> Hence:<br /> you don't know what love is til you see<br /> her standing there<br /> <br /> you think you are alive<br /> but you are dead<br /> <br /> you keep on driving in your car asleep<br /> on driving in your car<br /> <br /> And then she kept saying "and drive" since the people who are dead inside just keep going on with their life, not stopping to ask themselves "Do I need to change?"