"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.
Well I met her in a bar, the men with big guitars were playin'
And I listened with my ears but I couldn't hear what she was sayin'
And I guess she talked with her mind
But didn't want to seem too unkind so I just laughed
And kept my eyes peeled to the door
Wondering what I was there for
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
Well I asked if she believed in Adam and in Eve, the fable
And I guess she would've given me an answer if only she was able
And she danced like a medicine man
Drew a crazy picture on my hand and told me
She wanted to change my point of view
Asked me where I was going to
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
Well, she whispered in my ear, "We got to get us out of here to the country"
I asked her for a ride she took me aside she said, "Try me"
I thought I'm gonna wake pretty soon
In the middle of a Sunday afternoon just dreamin'
And it was warm in the back of her van
When she made me a real man
She made me cry
She made me cry
She made me cry
She made me cry
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
And I listened with my ears but I couldn't hear what she was sayin'
And I guess she talked with her mind
But didn't want to seem too unkind so I just laughed
And kept my eyes peeled to the door
Wondering what I was there for
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
Well I asked if she believed in Adam and in Eve, the fable
And I guess she would've given me an answer if only she was able
And she danced like a medicine man
Drew a crazy picture on my hand and told me
She wanted to change my point of view
Asked me where I was going to
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
Well, she whispered in my ear, "We got to get us out of here to the country"
I asked her for a ride she took me aside she said, "Try me"
I thought I'm gonna wake pretty soon
In the middle of a Sunday afternoon just dreamin'
And it was warm in the back of her van
When she made me a real man
She made me cry
She made me cry
She made me cry
She made me cry
But it's alright, and it's alright
And it's alright, and it's alright
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
I got my nuts from a hippy in a camper van on Saturday night
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
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
"to get yer nuts" is a Scottish or more so Glasgow saying for a guy to have had sex ;)