"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.
Walking by the roadside
I see my fate written upon it
I'm checkin' out the back here
Where my race is not run
Might hear a thousand harps of heaven
Rain down upon her
I can't stand and watch
While you stand accused
We got no, no regrets
We might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember the good times
Oh, and least you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Sometimes you might find
Like you feel that you're drowning
Run for cover like some blown out fuse
Remember one thing that you filed that number
You can call me up, baby, you won't be refused
Have no, no regrets
You might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember the good times, oh, and least you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Oh, oh, oh
After all the shit you know we've been through it
Oh, there ain't a shovel big enough in the world
That can move it
We got no, no regrets
Might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember who you are, and don't you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Oh, and have no, no regrets
I see my fate written upon it
I'm checkin' out the back here
Where my race is not run
Might hear a thousand harps of heaven
Rain down upon her
I can't stand and watch
While you stand accused
We got no, no regrets
We might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember the good times
Oh, and least you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Sometimes you might find
Like you feel that you're drowning
Run for cover like some blown out fuse
Remember one thing that you filed that number
You can call me up, baby, you won't be refused
Have no, no regrets
You might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember the good times, oh, and least you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Oh, oh, oh
After all the shit you know we've been through it
Oh, there ain't a shovel big enough in the world
That can move it
We got no, no regrets
Might have seen better times
But maybe we ain't been there yet
Remember who you are, and don't you forget
Oh, and have no, no regrets
Oh, and have no, no regrets
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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
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
It speaks to me about a basic faith in the unpredictability of life. You do what you can with what you get, and if you just take it all as it comes -- without too much in the way of judgment or expectation -- there's much to celebrate, and little to regret. Besides, who knows how much worse it would have been if you'd done things differently?