"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.
How's my luck
But somehow I'm with you
Let's leave now
Let's leave them,
Their point of view
My favorite place is me and you
I wake up in the darkest night
Watch you breathe in shadow light
A perfect world lies next to me
And I don't need to sleep to dream
I just hope I am good enough to keep you
Morning sun warms our skin
And distant sounds
The day begins
Soon their world will come calling for us
But this is the space they cannot touch
I just hope I am good enough to keep you
But somehow I'm with you
Let's leave now
Let's leave them,
Their point of view
My favorite place is me and you
I wake up in the darkest night
Watch you breathe in shadow light
A perfect world lies next to me
And I don't need to sleep to dream
I just hope I am good enough to keep you
Morning sun warms our skin
And distant sounds
The day begins
Soon their world will come calling for us
But this is the space they cannot touch
I just hope I am good enough to keep you
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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."
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Beautiful song. Heard this on Triple J the other day. To me it's about a woman who's stoked to have this 'perfect' man and how she feels when she's with him. She sounds a bit paranoid about losing him though. Which is understandable, hell.. things like this are usually too good to be true >/
To me this song is about a person who finds a special person & she's describing how much she likes him/her & how she doesn't want to loose them. She feels like they are invincible & no one can get to them when they're together. She also seems to be insecure about keeping them.. Blagh
it would be worth worrying, i guess.. if you have the perfect guy :P which, might i add, i have. this song is seriously about us. i love him forever :) hes the best guy ever.
and this song is beautiful :D
My favourite line is "My favourite place is me and you"
This song is about finding someone special
I am in love.
I find myself in the middle of the night staring at you as the moonlight shines on your chest as it rises and falls with your breathing. I can't help but smile because I realise how perfect you are and how you make the life I live perfect too.
I wake up with the sun warming my face. The day is beginning, but this moment, right now - this is you and me. The day will start, you and I will have to join in, but right now, this is you and me.
I hope you love me as much as I love you.
I love this song, it's so sweet and simple, but really powerful at the same time. I think the song is about how the girl does not want to destroy the perfect world that she has with this other person. My favourite lines are:
"Let's leave them and their point of view. My favourite place is me and you."
my favourite line is 'now I dont need to sleep to dream' but i love the whole song. its so beautiful! it actually makes me believe there is true love out there, REAL LOVE. beautiful song, beautiful girl & beautiful voice ♥
when i was in primary i had a boyfriend for a year and even though that was about six years ago, i am positive that he is who im meant to be with. i love him. this song means exactly that to me. and isn't the menaing of a song different for everyone?
When i first heard this song i thought it was Kate that wrote and sang the song but it was actually Keir Nuttall one of the unknown song writers that is a awesome ability to write song that come straight from the heart. Kate just made the song even better love ya Kate keep it up mwah..............
@superduke, Kier Nuttall isn't an 'unknown song writer', he's Kate's fiancé and guitarist, and a key member of the band. I met him, and he's a great guy, I hope the two of them have a long and beautiful life together ahead of them.