"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.
Cindy decided to leave her childhood diary under the bed
She burned almost everything except for her wedding ring
Because she threw that in the sea, in the sea, in the sea
She hid in her neighbor's yard and watched as the fire scarred
The house she never could leave
It was the prettiest thing she thought she had ever seen
A thing in which to believe
Cindy walked down the street, the smell of the fire so sweet
And she laughed through the smoke
At the end of the block she made one last stop
To make sure she had everything
Awash in the beautiful sound of the old house burning down
She opened her bag
She could have sworn that she took her overdue library books
But they were not to be seen
A knowing smile crossed her face as she remembered the place where she left them upstairs
She slowly walked back down the street
And into the burning debris
She couldn't take on any more late fees
She burned almost everything except for her wedding ring
Because she threw that in the sea, in the sea, in the sea
She hid in her neighbor's yard and watched as the fire scarred
The house she never could leave
It was the prettiest thing she thought she had ever seen
A thing in which to believe
Cindy walked down the street, the smell of the fire so sweet
And she laughed through the smoke
At the end of the block she made one last stop
To make sure she had everything
Awash in the beautiful sound of the old house burning down
She opened her bag
She could have sworn that she took her overdue library books
But they were not to be seen
A knowing smile crossed her face as she remembered the place where she left them upstairs
She slowly walked back down the street
And into the burning debris
She couldn't take on any more late fees
Lyrics submitted by andicolortoo
Cindy Lyrics as written by David Harvey Wingo
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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,
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.
As in most Ola Podrida songs, this one evokes powerful and emotional imagery...in this case its about forgetting the past moving on with new beginnings...and starting a clean fresh slate. Its my favorite off a grossly underrated and unknown album.
my favourite song of the album
here's an update on the lyrics above:
cindy decided to leave her childhood diary under the bed ..... watched as the fire scarred ..... awash in the beautiful sound