"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.
Hopping through the rainforest
Escaping the fire like all the rest
Trying to keep my species alive
Looking for lilies and tasty flies
My legs are pumping as fast they need to
My legs are drying as quick as glue
I look at the sun for one of my kind
I am a frog and I have a mind
You sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
Less and less of us everyday
The humans have screwed us the human way
Trees are falling without a sound
Into a river where they drown
You sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
And I'm running just to be
Yeah I'm hoping you'll kiss me
Yeah I'm running just to be
Just to be alive
Less and less of us everyday
The humans have screwed us the human way
Trees are falling without a sound
Into a river where they drown
And you sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
Escaping the fire like all the rest
Trying to keep my species alive
Looking for lilies and tasty flies
My legs are pumping as fast they need to
My legs are drying as quick as glue
I look at the sun for one of my kind
I am a frog and I have a mind
You sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
Less and less of us everyday
The humans have screwed us the human way
Trees are falling without a sound
Into a river where they drown
You sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
And I'm running just to be
Yeah I'm hoping you'll kiss me
Yeah I'm running just to be
Just to be alive
Less and less of us everyday
The humans have screwed us the human way
Trees are falling without a sound
Into a river where they drown
And you sold me out, you sold me out
Yeah I was a frog and now I am a song
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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.
Where it says [unclear] it sounds to me like he says "I was a frog and now i am a ___" Cant tell what the last word is..
@BETCH This song is so good it should be "genius."