"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.
you hold my hand tonight
your touch ain't like it was before
these sudden times
have taught you how to cry
and I've been gone so many nights
I've been gone so many..
with so much left to lose
and nothing left to gain
you played your life like a game
with so much left to lose
you said you'd be okay
but now your life is just a game
now your is just a game
we paint the town tonight
your smile's just like it was before
but you're eyes don't lie
and you're way too tired to fight
the light inside once shined so bright
we let it fade into the night
with so much left to lose
and nothing left to gain
you played your life like a game
with so much left to lose
you said you'd be okay
but now your life is just a game
now your is
and you said..
I don't know how I'm ever gonna let you go
but you've been gone for so long
you said..
truth be told I was afraid
I am afraid I may be wrong
but you've been gone for so long
you hold my hand tonight
but your touch ain't like it was before
your touch ain't like it was before
these sudden times
have taught you how to cry
and I've been gone so many nights
I've been gone so many..
with so much left to lose
and nothing left to gain
you played your life like a game
with so much left to lose
you said you'd be okay
but now your life is just a game
now your is just a game
we paint the town tonight
your smile's just like it was before
but you're eyes don't lie
and you're way too tired to fight
the light inside once shined so bright
we let it fade into the night
with so much left to lose
and nothing left to gain
you played your life like a game
with so much left to lose
you said you'd be okay
but now your life is just a game
now your is
and you said..
I don't know how I'm ever gonna let you go
but you've been gone for so long
you said..
truth be told I was afraid
I am afraid I may be wrong
but you've been gone for so long
you hold my hand tonight
but your touch ain't like it was before
Lyrics submitted by luziann
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
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”
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.