"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.
With time to kill and an empty tomb
I always find a way to pass the time with you
Dark and smoky rooms, I can hardly stand the fumes
Telling me that you mean no harm
You stand me up like a crutch, another arm
But only when I'm gone have I been away too long
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
Any given time or place I never will forget the disgrace on your face
So full of love, will it ever be enough?
Ten feet tall and bullet proof I never thought that I had a thing to lose
Well, it looks like after all, I'm gonna have to choose
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
You help pass the time, but I'm doing fine on my own
So there's no good reason why to live such a lie
Tell me have I been gone away too long?
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
You don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
With my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
You'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
Long gone
I always find a way to pass the time with you
Dark and smoky rooms, I can hardly stand the fumes
Telling me that you mean no harm
You stand me up like a crutch, another arm
But only when I'm gone have I been away too long
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
Any given time or place I never will forget the disgrace on your face
So full of love, will it ever be enough?
Ten feet tall and bullet proof I never thought that I had a thing to lose
Well, it looks like after all, I'm gonna have to choose
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
You help pass the time, but I'm doing fine on my own
So there's no good reason why to live such a lie
Tell me have I been gone away too long?
No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
You don't belong to me, I think you lied to me
With my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong
You'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me
Still I tell myself that tomorrow you'll be long gone
Long gone
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
This song is about addictiion to someone or something.And thinking that you need them to get by "Stand me up like a crutch, another arm." Then realizing that it or they are just putting your back against the wall,and that you make it on your own.