"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.
Look
We gotta talk
Dang, I know, I know
But it's, it's just some things I gotta get off chest, aight?
Yeah, whoa, whoa-whoa
Listen
Baby, come here and sit down, let's talk
I got a lot to say so I guess I'll start by
Sayin' that I love you
But you know this thing ain't been no walk in the park for us
I swear it'll only take a minute
You'll understand when I finish, yeah
And I don't wanna see you cry
But I don't wanna be the one to tell you a lie so
How do you let it go when you
You just don't know what's on
The other side of the door
When you're walking out? Talk about it
And everything I tried to remember to say just went out my head
So I'ma do the best I can to get you to understand 'cause I know
There's never a right time to say goodbye (yeah)
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
Girl, I know your heart is breaking
And a thousand times I found myself asking, "Why? Why?"
Why am I taking so long to say this?
But trust me, girl, I never
Meant to crush your world and I never
Thought I would see the day we'd grow apart
And I wanna know
How do you let it go when you
You just don't know what's on
The other side of the door
When you're walking out? Talk about it
Girl, I hope you understand what I'm tryna say
We just can't go on
Pretending that we get along
Girl, how you not gon' see it? (Oh, oh, yeah)
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
Listen to your heart, girl, you know
We should be apart, baby, I
I just can't do it
I, I just can't do it
Listen to your heart, girl, you know
We should be apart, baby, I
I just can't do it
And sometimes it makes me wanna cry
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Do you hear me crying?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (oh, oh)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
There's never a right time
There's never a right time to say goodbye (oh yeah)
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me (you're gonna start hating me, baby)
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you (no more)
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I (it's me, yeah)
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh (about you and me)
There's never a right time to say goodbye (oh, no it ain't)
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways (go, yeah, yeah)
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say
We gotta talk
Dang, I know, I know
But it's, it's just some things I gotta get off chest, aight?
Yeah, whoa, whoa-whoa
Listen
Baby, come here and sit down, let's talk
I got a lot to say so I guess I'll start by
Sayin' that I love you
But you know this thing ain't been no walk in the park for us
I swear it'll only take a minute
You'll understand when I finish, yeah
And I don't wanna see you cry
But I don't wanna be the one to tell you a lie so
How do you let it go when you
You just don't know what's on
The other side of the door
When you're walking out? Talk about it
And everything I tried to remember to say just went out my head
So I'ma do the best I can to get you to understand 'cause I know
There's never a right time to say goodbye (yeah)
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
Girl, I know your heart is breaking
And a thousand times I found myself asking, "Why? Why?"
Why am I taking so long to say this?
But trust me, girl, I never
Meant to crush your world and I never
Thought I would see the day we'd grow apart
And I wanna know
How do you let it go when you
You just don't know what's on
The other side of the door
When you're walking out? Talk about it
Girl, I hope you understand what I'm tryna say
We just can't go on
Pretending that we get along
Girl, how you not gon' see it? (Oh, oh, yeah)
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
Listen to your heart, girl, you know
We should be apart, baby, I
I just can't do it
I, I just can't do it
Listen to your heart, girl, you know
We should be apart, baby, I
I just can't do it
And sometimes it makes me wanna cry
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Do you hear me crying?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (oh, oh)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
There's never a right time
There's never a right time to say goodbye (oh yeah)
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me (you're gonna start hating me, baby)
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you (no more)
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I (it's me, yeah)
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh (about you and me)
There's never a right time to say goodbye (oh, no it ain't)
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways (go, yeah, yeah)
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say goodbye
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But I gotta make the first move
'Cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me
'Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you
Girl, it's not you, it's me, I
Kinda gotta figure out what I need, oh
There's never a right time to say goodbye
But we know that we gotta go our separate ways
And I know it's hard but I gotta do it and it's killing me
'Cause there's never a right time, right time to say
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
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
this songs brings back a lot for me and my boyfriend cause we were broken up for a couple days and i felt like i always fixed stuff and he didn't seem like he wanted to. like he'd call but then hang up .. but call back and come over but then suddenly have to leave. but then finally he called me to come out to the car but he didnt say anything.. but this song was playing and he turned it up and i started balllling. i figured he wanted me to hear this. and he said he loved me but it just didnt work out. and we said .. goodbye. even though he asked me back out and said he wanted to fix stuff it still brings back that feeling of saying goodbye and being without him