"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.
We are alive for a moment
One second in the great abyss of time
All the bleedin', all the hate
Just one blink of an eye
All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life
Are we missing what it is to be alive?
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
We learn to live without it
[Chorus]
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Our innocence is a virtue
But our arrogance will only leave us blind
Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives
Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction
Of a fraction
One by one the pieces fall again
[Chorus: x2]
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
Yeah!
One by one the pieces fall (one by one the pieces fall)
Until our pride defeats us all
Defeats us all!
Yeah!
Oh!
[Chorus: x2]
It's gone away
Yeah
One second in the great abyss of time
All the bleedin', all the hate
Just one blink of an eye
All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life
Are we missing what it is to be alive?
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
We learn to live without it
[Chorus]
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Our innocence is a virtue
But our arrogance will only leave us blind
Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives
Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction
Of a fraction
One by one the pieces fall again
[Chorus: x2]
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
Yeah!
One by one the pieces fall (one by one the pieces fall)
Until our pride defeats us all
Defeats us all!
Yeah!
Oh!
[Chorus: x2]
It's gone away
Yeah
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
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."
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/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
i think it means that we always let out pride and selfishness get the best of us, and if we don't do something about it....it's eventually going to kill us, and we'll end up w/ nothing!!
it's saying how the world shouldn't be so bad when we only have a little while to be in it. It's saying wake up and realize that pretty soon it'll all be gone and all the memories we have will be of bad shit and nothing good or worth remembering, so change, :]
Only 11 comments? Damn...
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
ah sum1 beat me 2 posting this =/. at least i get first comment. great song i love that theyre evolving nd sounding so much better. im expecting big things from this album, especially after in the wake of determination was a letdown nd the massively lnog wait for the new album.
sorry lol after seein this a few corrections, but here's the whole song neways.
We are alive for a moment One second in the great abyss of time All the bleeding, all the hate Just one blink of an eye All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life Are we missing what it is to be alive?
One by one the pieces fall Until our pride defeats us all We learn to live without it
WAKE UP! To the sound of this time bomb WAKE UP! To its deafening song WAKE UP! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone Until it's gone
Our innocence is a virtue But our arrogance will only leave us blind Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction Of a fraction
One by one the pieces fall again
WAKE UP! To the sound of this time bomb WAKE UP! To its deafening song WAKE UP! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone Until it's gone WAKE UP! To the sound of this time bomb WAKE UP! To its deafening song WAKE UP! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone Until it's gone away!
One by one the pieces fall Until our pride defeats us all Yeah!
One by one the pieces fall (one by one the pieces fall) Until our pride defeats us all DEFEATS US ALL! YEAH!
OOHH!! WAKE UP! To the sound of this time bomb WAKE UP! To its deafening song WAKE UP! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone Until it's gone WAKE UP! To the sound of this time bomb WAKE UP! To its deafening song WAKE UP! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone Until it's gone away
It's gone away Yeah
i think it means that we always let out pride and selfishness get the best of us, and if we don't do something about it....it's eventually going to kill us, and we'll end up w/ nothing!!
this song is great im also expecting big things from this album
So it's great to see they are going back to there old ways using the the turn table. The song is about how we are wasting our lives with war and destruction, we take for granted our lives.
Anyway I hope they do another song like in her bedroom..that my favorite song by these guys such a sick mix at the end of the song..If you haven't heard it..FIND IT
I don't know how anyone can say In the Wake... was a let down. That was one of the best albums I've ever had the pleasure of exposing my ears to. It was very metal and I am a very metal person. I also have had the chance to listen to the entire NEW album and I must say...I wet my pants just a little. You think In the Wake... was too metal...oh you're going to love The Black Swan!
he think maybe hes saying that everyone in the world is unbelievably arrogant..that they think they can solve anything..thinking they are always right and stand strong, but never want to see it how others might see it. and then finally their being stupid has them lose whatever they hold dear. eg: your kids, your wife/husband, your friends, maybe your job...thats just me..cuz i have had a recent experience..i was stupid and never wanted to listen to my wife and thinking she could never prove me wrong..and then eventually it turned out she was right and i fucked up and now i am alone and on my own with my kids and wife away from me..this song really motivates me to get my shit together. it should motivate anyone like this...awesome song story of the year!!!!! you rock my socks!!!! WAKE UP EVERYONE!!!