"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.
In the beginning it was worth this
Do the worst, feel complete
Passing standards others meet
(What we do best)
Now, perfect endings make you anxious
Heavy head, a colder sweat
Leaving nothing here
Nothing to regret
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive, oh
I miss the old days that we murdered
They're so far gone, out of reach
Watch your fate with summers heat
(Well, it goes like this)
Without a break from this distraction
I need a change
A different scene
A new approach on coming clean
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Still searching for a back door out of here
Reassured that old friends will reappear
Why am I still suffocating?
Hold your breath deep and I'll keep waiting
Still searching for a back door out of here
Reassured that old friends will reappear
Why am I still suffocating?
Hold your breath deep and I'll keep waiting, waiting
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive, oh
Do the worst, feel complete
Passing standards others meet
(What we do best)
Now, perfect endings make you anxious
Heavy head, a colder sweat
Leaving nothing here
Nothing to regret
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive, oh
I miss the old days that we murdered
They're so far gone, out of reach
Watch your fate with summers heat
(Well, it goes like this)
Without a break from this distraction
I need a change
A different scene
A new approach on coming clean
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Still searching for a back door out of here
Reassured that old friends will reappear
Why am I still suffocating?
Hold your breath deep and I'll keep waiting
Still searching for a back door out of here
Reassured that old friends will reappear
Why am I still suffocating?
Hold your breath deep and I'll keep waiting, waiting
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive
Why am I still suffocating?
Constantly devastated just to stay alive, oh
Lyrics submitted by your-all-i-need
Suffocating Lyrics as written by Cody James Jancovic Brian Christopher Chiusano
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I love this band, they are from my hometown:)
To me this song is about looking to the past in regret. Missing certain things and wondering why you're still suffocating and nothing better has come yet. You long to be back when things were right because no matter what nothing better has seem to come and stay, and so you're just still suffocating.
I love this song but am mad that most places don't have it. oh well, it rocks