"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.
Old man Wrigley lived in that white house
Down the street where I grew up
My mama used to send me over with things
We struck a friendship up
I spent a few long summers
Out on his old porch swing
Said he was in the war, when in the navy
Lost his wife, lost his baby
Broke down and asked him one time
"How you keep from goin' crazy?"
He said, "I'll see my wife and son in just a little while"
Mm, I asked him what he meant, he looked at me and smiled
Said, "I raise my hands
Bow my head
I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see, I believe"
A few years later I was off at college
Talkin' to mom on the phone one night
Gettin' all caught up on the gossip
The ins and outs of the small town life
She said, "Oh, by the way son
Old man Wrigley's died"
Later on that night
I laid there thinkin' back
Thought about a couple long-lost summers
I didn't know whether to cry or laugh
If there was ever anybody
Deserved a ticket to the other side
It'd be that sweet old man
Who looked me in the eye
Said, "I raise my hands
Bow my head
I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see"
I can't quote the book
The chapter or the verse
You can't tell me it all ends
In a slow ride in a hearse
You know I'm more and more convinced
The longer that I live
Yeah, this can't be (no, this can't be), no, this can't be (no, this can't be)
No, this can't be all there is
Lord, I raise my hands
Bow my head
Oh, I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see (just what I can see), I believe
Oh, I (I believe)
I believe
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
Down the street where I grew up
My mama used to send me over with things
We struck a friendship up
I spent a few long summers
Out on his old porch swing
Said he was in the war, when in the navy
Lost his wife, lost his baby
Broke down and asked him one time
"How you keep from goin' crazy?"
He said, "I'll see my wife and son in just a little while"
Mm, I asked him what he meant, he looked at me and smiled
Said, "I raise my hands
Bow my head
I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see, I believe"
A few years later I was off at college
Talkin' to mom on the phone one night
Gettin' all caught up on the gossip
The ins and outs of the small town life
She said, "Oh, by the way son
Old man Wrigley's died"
Later on that night
I laid there thinkin' back
Thought about a couple long-lost summers
I didn't know whether to cry or laugh
If there was ever anybody
Deserved a ticket to the other side
It'd be that sweet old man
Who looked me in the eye
Said, "I raise my hands
Bow my head
I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see"
I can't quote the book
The chapter or the verse
You can't tell me it all ends
In a slow ride in a hearse
You know I'm more and more convinced
The longer that I live
Yeah, this can't be (no, this can't be), no, this can't be (no, this can't be)
No, this can't be all there is
Lord, I raise my hands
Bow my head
Oh, I'm findin' more and more truth
In the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life
Than just what I can see (just what I can see), I believe
Oh, I (I believe)
I believe
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
(I believe)
I believe
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This is a really nice deep song thats comforting to listen to
I to think its about an old man telling him what he knows of life and possibly what he wants to know what happens when you die
"I can't quote the book The chapter or the verse You can't tell me it all ends In a slow ride in a hearse"
sounds like he doesnt believe thats the end and there has to be more