"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.
This wasn't for you. This wasn't FOR anyone. It's simply a remoke of a classic. We held hands, we shared beds. She told her that we were lovers. Were we? But this wasn't for you really, what's the cat to do when the mouse is begging? ('02)
'areyouinorareyouout? youcan'twineitherway," he said,'butthefallwillbefantasticandwhat'sleftisnothinglessthanperfection."
It's freezing, but it is the desert, what to do? maybe we'll see a body. Maybe we'll see a few. I shook, did you?
Please, sit down. May I offer you something? Anything you wish..NO NOTHING. IF YOU DON'T MIND, THIS WILL BE RECORDED...
They started far off...but they resound, as sharp as they sound. You can't mistake the sound. First the click, the the visible breath, both parting the bitting cold of the night. They came, they come in time....
Is there something I should know or have I just seen too much?
We were once together, now i'm simply surrounded.
They were perfect, they were beautiful. They met in the middle of of nowhere, in the middle of nothing, and kissed where everyone could see. No words. No before. No after. They kissed and it was perfect. it was beautiful. It was everything. It was nothing.
Eventually it all comes back to this. Eventually you have nothing else. Shame really. MAY I GET YOU SOMETHING? Give me anything.
I saw you in the picture you took with them when you were with him and I took you from it and kept you for myself. WAIT FLASH TAPE'S STILL ROLLING
The power went out. I turned on the radio. The power went out. I turned on the radio. The power went out. I turned on the radio.... I heard a voice
'areyouinorareyouout? youcan'twineitherway," he said,'butthefallwillbefantasticandwhat'sleftisnothinglessthanperfection."
It's freezing, but it is the desert, what to do? maybe we'll see a body. Maybe we'll see a few. I shook, did you?
Please, sit down. May I offer you something? Anything you wish..NO NOTHING. IF YOU DON'T MIND, THIS WILL BE RECORDED...
They started far off...but they resound, as sharp as they sound. You can't mistake the sound. First the click, the the visible breath, both parting the bitting cold of the night. They came, they come in time....
Is there something I should know or have I just seen too much?
We were once together, now i'm simply surrounded.
They were perfect, they were beautiful. They met in the middle of of nowhere, in the middle of nothing, and kissed where everyone could see. No words. No before. No after. They kissed and it was perfect. it was beautiful. It was everything. It was nothing.
Eventually it all comes back to this. Eventually you have nothing else. Shame really. MAY I GET YOU SOMETHING? Give me anything.
I saw you in the picture you took with them when you were with him and I took you from it and kept you for myself. WAIT FLASH TAPE'S STILL ROLLING
The power went out. I turned on the radio. The power went out. I turned on the radio. The power went out. I turned on the radio.... I heard a voice
Lyrics submitted by fryboy85, edited by GeneticGold
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
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
I was wondering the meaning to these, also. I was thinking that they could be lyrics that weren't made into a song, and they were a few sentences chosen by the band.
Some of the quotes kind of sound like something from an interview, but I am still puzzled as to what the hell they could mean.
Whatever they are, they're beautiful.