"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 wanna dance the tango with chance
And I wanna ride on the wire
'Cause nothing gets done with dust in your gun
And nobody respects a liar
So, goodbye for a while
I'm off to explore every boundary and every door
Yeah, I'm going north
And I wanna know where children would go
If they never learned to be cool
'Cause nothing's achieved when pushed up a sleeve
So nobody thinks you're a fool
So, goodbye for a while
I'm out to learn more about who I really was before
Yeah, I'm going north
Up where the hunted hide with ease
Under the arms of eyeless trees
Up where the answers fall like leaves
Or when your love is all I need
Yeah, I'm going north
I'm going north
Yeah, I'm going north, yeah
And I wanna ride on the wire
'Cause nothing gets done with dust in your gun
And nobody respects a liar
So, goodbye for a while
I'm off to explore every boundary and every door
Yeah, I'm going north
And I wanna know where children would go
If they never learned to be cool
'Cause nothing's achieved when pushed up a sleeve
So nobody thinks you're a fool
So, goodbye for a while
I'm out to learn more about who I really was before
Yeah, I'm going north
Up where the hunted hide with ease
Under the arms of eyeless trees
Up where the answers fall like leaves
Or when your love is all I need
Yeah, I'm going north
I'm going north
Yeah, I'm going north, yeah
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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”
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/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Missy Higgins went to a small secluded town North of where she lives in Australia to write songs and get in touch with herself, her inner child, her inner demons, etc. The song is just about that journey--literally and metaphorically. That's what she said about the song before playing it at a concert.
North = where she loses all inhibitions....she's a free woman, free to dance, free to be HERSELF
I haven't actually heard this song, but the lyrics remind me of going home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's a peaceful escape from everything.
Missy Higgins said this song was about just in general going to your kind of special place where you can just be alone, and you can just think.
I love the thought of 'where children would go if they never learnt to be cool' that idea of conditioning and going to a place where all that falls away is beautiful. i love this song :)