"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.
If only you could hear the beat, beat, beat
Of my beating heart
Then maybe we, we, we
Would never be apart
It's a beautiful sky on a beautiful day
But only you can stretch a smile across my face
So I'm waiting, waiting, waiting
For you to be calling, calling, calling
Cause its another drive
Another day on the road
And honey I don't have the strength for another show, no
And I got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
(whoa oh, whoa oh)
And you've got me almost figured out
There's almost nothing left to see
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me
And it's a long way back to the golden state
Where the city's held in by a golden gate
Like a giant jar full of fireflies
The yellow lights blinking on the mountainside
And I wish I had a plane or a cable car
'cause all I really want is to be in your arms
And I got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
And you've got me almost figured out
There's almost nothing left to see
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me
whoa oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
(x4)
And I've got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
And you've got me almost figured out
(you've got me almost figured out)
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me...
You're bringing out the best in me...
whoa oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
(x2)
you're bringing out the best in me...
(you've got me almost figured out..)
You're bringing out the best in me...
(you've got me almost figured out..)
Of my beating heart
Then maybe we, we, we
Would never be apart
It's a beautiful sky on a beautiful day
But only you can stretch a smile across my face
So I'm waiting, waiting, waiting
For you to be calling, calling, calling
Cause its another drive
Another day on the road
And honey I don't have the strength for another show, no
And I got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
(whoa oh, whoa oh)
And you've got me almost figured out
There's almost nothing left to see
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me
And it's a long way back to the golden state
Where the city's held in by a golden gate
Like a giant jar full of fireflies
The yellow lights blinking on the mountainside
And I wish I had a plane or a cable car
'cause all I really want is to be in your arms
And I got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
And you've got me almost figured out
There's almost nothing left to see
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me
whoa oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
(x4)
And I've got it almost figured out
If I could get you closer to me
'cause it's a good life for a short time
And you've got me almost figured out
(you've got me almost figured out)
You're bringing out the best in me
You're bringing out the best in me...
You're bringing out the best in me...
whoa oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh..
(x2)
you're bringing out the best in me...
(you've got me almost figured out..)
You're bringing out the best in me...
(you've got me almost figured out..)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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."
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."
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.
their relationship would be perfect if only he wasn't so far apart from her.
but he does still loves her, even though they're not always together.
I agree with ellie117.
"and i wish i had a plane or a cable car cause all i really want is to be in your arms"
adorable.
they remind me of a mix of hellogoodbye and mae a little bit. from this song at least, it's the only one i've listened to so far.
i agree with rangel i does sound like hellogoodbye and mae. i love this song. so beautiful!
Yep, the song's about a guy who's on tour who misses his girl. Probably written while the band was touring.. I seem to get that impression.
This song has grown on, at first I didn't like it as much b/c it reminded me of Hellogoodbye, who I'm not a huge fan. But then I saw them play this live and love it. These guys play an amazing live set. They have such a good energy when they are on stage.
sucks to have someone live so far from you and you love them. never happened to me though. and I don't think I could do that. ;|
It pretty much explains itself. Girl's in California, boy has no choice but to go on tour with his band - and she understands that, but he misses her a lot sometimes and just wishes he could fly back to her; because she gives him the strength she needs.
OR girl's in California, boy lives somewhere else, and then the rest is basically the same.
i can see the hellogoodbye similarities but i don't like them
this song isn't really an accurate representation of the band or their overall sound throughout their albums.
my two cents, good tune too
i love this song!!!
i first heard it in 8th grade and had me hooked to them ever since
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