"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.
I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever
It all started out in a tan Dodge van
Two hundred bucks that we stole from her dad
Out the back of his meth lab
Took the 45, out demand that
Livid Bonnie, 'bout to be a mommy
Came to California with Johnny
They had a run in with the law
She shoulda listened to her ma
And she said we'd be together
(She said)
She used the word 'Forever'
(She said)
Oh, my lovely lover
(She said)
Why had I love to love her?
I, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known
Abortion clinic, I shoulda forced the issue
But she did it with the hanger and some tissue
Don't cry, dry your eye
(She said)
I'll be back on my feet tonight
(She said)
I'll be walking the street tonight
(She said)
'Cause these arms gotta eat tonight
Then we made love like a couple of drunk buffalo
Was I rough enough?
It was the last time I'd ever see her
I'd try to thank her with gonorrhea
But then she split and stole my sweater
Dude, I shoulda known better
I, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
Shoulda known better
Shoulda ended in the tan Dodge van
With two hundred dollars worth of partying
But instead I'm sitting on Sunset
Selling my soul for a hit, yeah, what next?
Yeah, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
When you said you'd never leave and we'd be together
Nothing lasts forever, nothing ever lasts forever
Shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known
Nothing lasts forever
It all started out in a tan Dodge van
Two hundred bucks that we stole from her dad
Out the back of his meth lab
Took the 45, out demand that
Livid Bonnie, 'bout to be a mommy
Came to California with Johnny
They had a run in with the law
She shoulda listened to her ma
And she said we'd be together
(She said)
She used the word 'Forever'
(She said)
Oh, my lovely lover
(She said)
Why had I love to love her?
I, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known
Abortion clinic, I shoulda forced the issue
But she did it with the hanger and some tissue
Don't cry, dry your eye
(She said)
I'll be back on my feet tonight
(She said)
I'll be walking the street tonight
(She said)
'Cause these arms gotta eat tonight
Then we made love like a couple of drunk buffalo
Was I rough enough?
It was the last time I'd ever see her
I'd try to thank her with gonorrhea
But then she split and stole my sweater
Dude, I shoulda known better
I, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
Shoulda known better
Shoulda ended in the tan Dodge van
With two hundred dollars worth of partying
But instead I'm sitting on Sunset
Selling my soul for a hit, yeah, what next?
Yeah, I shoulda known better
Nothing lasts forever, yeah, lasts forever
When you said you'd never leave and we'd be together
Nothing lasts forever, nothing ever lasts forever
Shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known better
(Ooh, better)
I shoulda known
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! no comments?? this song kicks ass..
Yeah!! ^ I just really like this song. No matter what you decide to derive from the lyrics...Awesome song.
just to state the [what should be] obvious its about kids that run away together.....
the significance lies in how they pictate the naivity of the pair, the abortion referances are 'balanced' by the sweater. it stops the song from being too heavy which i feel gives it tits appeal.
I heard this song on Faction and instantly loved it. The drums are so awesome in this song. I love it even more now that I'm listening to it over and over again!
i love this song...
Then we made love, like a couple of drunk buffalo, was I rough enough
quote of the fucking millennium