"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.
You've got something to say to me, I know
I see you running away from me to him
You shouldn't kick a man when he's down
But you didn't know I was on the ground
Nothing happens the way I want, I know
And something better will come along, I'm told
Can't see the future for what it could be
All I see is I'm not changing
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
I guess you're happy the way that this turned out
All of your sorrow you think you'll be without
It's been a struggle to watch you fade away
But I'm still here, my heart's still beating
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
I watched you walk away
Will it ever be okay?
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
You will be running away from him and then
You know you'll want to fall into me again
It's just a matter of time before you see
That I am here, and I've been waiting
I see you running away from me to him
You shouldn't kick a man when he's down
But you didn't know I was on the ground
Nothing happens the way I want, I know
And something better will come along, I'm told
Can't see the future for what it could be
All I see is I'm not changing
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
I guess you're happy the way that this turned out
All of your sorrow you think you'll be without
It's been a struggle to watch you fade away
But I'm still here, my heart's still beating
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
I watched you walk away
Will it ever be okay?
Back down and step aside
They tell me let it slide
I can't do anything
I won't just push you away
You will be running away from him and then
You know you'll want to fall into me again
It's just a matter of time before you see
That I am here, and I've been waiting
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.