"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've been lost inside my head
Echoes fall on me
I took the priceless night for complicated mess
Persuading things I didn't mean and don't believe
[Chorus]
Believe in me
Believe in nothing
Corner me
And make me something
I've become the hollow man, I
I've become the hollow man I see
Oh, I see this echoing
You have placed your trust in me
I went upside down
I emptied up the room
Thirty seconds left
I can't believe you held your ground
[Chorus]
I'm overwhelmed
I'm on repeat
I'm emptied out
I'm incomplete
You trusted me
I want to show you
I don't want to be the hollow man
[Chorus]
I see
Echoes fall on me
I took the priceless night for complicated mess
Persuading things I didn't mean and don't believe
[Chorus]
Believe in me
Believe in nothing
Corner me
And make me something
I've become the hollow man, I
I've become the hollow man I see
Oh, I see this echoing
You have placed your trust in me
I went upside down
I emptied up the room
Thirty seconds left
I can't believe you held your ground
[Chorus]
I'm overwhelmed
I'm on repeat
I'm emptied out
I'm incomplete
You trusted me
I want to show you
I don't want to be the hollow man
[Chorus]
I see
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
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.
I'm starting to think this is autobiographical (no, really) and that Stipe is apologizing that REM sort of lost their way on UP, Reveal and Around The Sun and that he was hollow because he couldn't find much to say recently that was meaningful or true to himself ("for saying things I didn't mean and don't believe"). And he's thanking fans for sticking with them despite this: "you had placed your trust in me, I went upside down", "I can't believe you held your ground", "you trusted me, I want to show you", etc. And "I emptied out the room in 30 seconds flat" reflects REM's popularity dropping. But then again, it could just be to 1 person in his life instead of all of us.
I really love this song off of Accelerate. The new cd is great, I love it, I'm so glad they decided to make another studio album.
great song, love the stick figure guy in the video. They had that on the backdrop during their show (the entire light show was amazing!)
I think it's about someone who got caught up with themselves so much that they didn't care about others, and said some things they regret saying. And now someone who wants to change them. ("I can't believe you held your ground.)
"Echoes fall off me" might refer to the narrator repeating himself, or to the narrator being just like everybody else, sharing their opinions and just echoing their actions.
A song for all the people who wake up one day, look in the mirror and see that life as simply passed them by....Have I become the hollow man I see? Have you lived your live on repeat, each day following the other, the same? Get up, go to work, go home, go to bed, get up...