"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 looked down and I didn't know what to think
Vapor trails from the engine of this plane
Shut my eyes and I flew right from this place
Made a wish and I blew it all away
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
Right now the sun fills up the sky
And waves of color beat in time
Tell all my friends I'm seeing them again
I'm on a great divide
There is no doubt, I'm never coming back
The story of my life
I was down and I did not understand
Was afraid couldn't wash it off my hands
So I rose and I flew right from that place
Got my wish that I'll never be the same
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
Right now the sun fills up the sky
And waves of color beat in time
Tell all my friends I'm seeing them again
I'm on a great divide
There is no doubt, I'm never coming back
The story of my life
Now I'm fine
I'm through
I'm through
I'm through
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
But it won't be long
But it won't be long
I'm through
I'm through
I'm through
Vapor trails from the engine of this plane
Shut my eyes and I flew right from this place
Made a wish and I blew it all away
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
Right now the sun fills up the sky
And waves of color beat in time
Tell all my friends I'm seeing them again
I'm on a great divide
There is no doubt, I'm never coming back
The story of my life
I was down and I did not understand
Was afraid couldn't wash it off my hands
So I rose and I flew right from that place
Got my wish that I'll never be the same
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
Right now the sun fills up the sky
And waves of color beat in time
Tell all my friends I'm seeing them again
I'm on a great divide
There is no doubt, I'm never coming back
The story of my life
Now I'm fine
I'm through
I'm through
I'm through
Then I was alone
Then I was alone
But it won't be long
But it won't be long
I'm through
I'm through
I'm through
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental 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.
I agree with the interpretation above. Also filtered through my recent experience: I recently picked up and left my hometown and took off for a new city on the other side of the country where I knew no one. C'mon was one of my big motivating songs before I left; I'd play it whenever I started getting cold feet.
To me this song sort of picks up where that one left off: I left, don't look back, don't look back, etc...and now here I am, someplace new, someone different...but what now? I love the hopefulness and the determination: I'm alone now, but it will get better...