"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.
Old San Francisco, San Francisco B.C.
I lived with my true love and she lived with me.
"Romance is the douche of the bourgeoisie"
Was the very first thing she imparted to me
We had sarcastic hair, we used lewd pseudonyms
We got a lot of stares on the street back then.
Since her dad, a local barber, had been beaten to death
She had become a vocal martyr in the vegan press
The cops had failed, they couldn't catch a bus
They were looking for a male with a bad hair cut
Enter tumbleweed, exit love and our affaire d'amour
Was set on self-destruct.
She said "you don't make enough to provide for me."
I said "what about the stuff that we quote believe?"
She said "I left that on the sands of history
I've found a new man to take care of me
He dresses for success and emergency
And he moves a lot of concrete on the QVC."
Little, asian, deadly, like a cobra in the shade
Sat in the midst of the smoke that he made
His name was Mr. Games and he owned the place
It was a lonely bar and grill in the Lower Haight
He had a jeweler's hands and a blurry face
He knew I needed a chance so he gave me a break.
"If I hire you now, can you start today?
I got a high-rise job down by the bay.
Just a couple of rocks and some firearms
There's not many locks and just one alarm
My step-son Gene will pick you up and drive
Try to be his friend, he's got a friendly side."
Doll-house lightning and the next thing I knew
We were back at our point of rendezvous.
I was in the possession of burglary tools
Children's fur coats and diamonds and jewels
Gene's talking about insignificant shit
Just like crooks in the movies when they do that bit.
He said the power of metal will never be harnessed.
I thought the wages of metal should be heavily garnished.
We were waiting for his dad to meet us there
Gene took off his hat and I noticed his hair
It was neatly trimmed but a patch was bare
I knew it wasn't New Wave, it was human error.
Before I knew what I said, I said "killer cut."
I watched him silently putting out a cigarette butt.
Then he came at me with some fist cuisine
I had to duck aside and that was bad for Gene
Cause when he went by me he tripped and fell
Through the glass coffee table at the Wong hotel.
Right there and then Mr. Games walked in
With my ex-true love on his gamy limb.
So her dad's killer's dad was her new beau
And Games had a wife, whatta you know?
She got real real quiet till we chucked the kid
Then she went her way and I went his.
Old San Francisco, San Francisco B.C.
I lived with my true love and she lived with me.
"Romance is the douche of the bourgeoisie"
Was the very first thing she imparted to me
We had sarcastic hair, we used lewd pseudonyms
We got a lot of stares on the street back then.
Since her dad, a local barber, had been beaten to death
She had become a vocal martyr in the vegan press
The cops had failed, they couldn't catch a bus
They were looking for a male with a bad hair cut
Enter tumbleweed, exit love and our affaire d'amour
Was set on self-destruct.
She said "you don't make enough to provide for me."
I said "what about the stuff that we quote believe?"
She said "I left that on the sands of history
I've found a new man to take care of me
He dresses for success and emergency
And he moves a lot of concrete on the QVC."
Little, asian, deadly, like a cobra in the shade
Sat in the midst of the smoke that he made
His name was Mr. Games and he owned the place
It was a lonely bar and grill in the Lower Haight
He had a jeweler's hands and a blurry face
He knew I needed a chance so he gave me a break.
"If I hire you now, can you start today?
I got a high-rise job down by the bay.
Just a couple of rocks and some firearms
There's not many locks and just one alarm
My step-son Gene will pick you up and drive
Try to be his friend, he's got a friendly side."
Doll-house lightning and the next thing I knew
We were back at our point of rendezvous.
I was in the possession of burglary tools
Children's fur coats and diamonds and jewels
Gene's talking about insignificant shit
Just like crooks in the movies when they do that bit.
He said the power of metal will never be harnessed.
I thought the wages of metal should be heavily garnished.
We were waiting for his dad to meet us there
Gene took off his hat and I noticed his hair
It was neatly trimmed but a patch was bare
I knew it wasn't New Wave, it was human error.
Before I knew what I said, I said "killer cut."
I watched him silently putting out a cigarette butt.
Then he came at me with some fist cuisine
I had to duck aside and that was bad for Gene
Cause when he went by me he tripped and fell
Through the glass coffee table at the Wong hotel.
Right there and then Mr. Games walked in
With my ex-true love on his gamy limb.
So her dad's killer's dad was her new beau
And Games had a wife, whatta you know?
She got real real quiet till we chucked the kid
Then she went her way and I went his.
Old San Francisco, San Francisco B.C.
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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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
It's definitely "killer cut". It just slipped out of his mouth and has the double meaning of sounding like something you would say to someone if you liked their haircut, but in this case he is insinuating that he knows that Gene killed his ex's father, the barbor.