"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 Ghetto....it seems like, the whole world....
(The ghetto)...
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they rob you they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
Boys & Girls grow up fast
chicken-heads run the streets as soon as they eggs hatch
players posted up, perkin' perpindicular
searchin' for a way but all they have is the...ghetto.
They settle for the street cred
instead of trying ta teach heads
the best way to walk in every path in the...ghetto.
It's sad 'cause we wanna bust shots
gettin' props for lickin' the block hot
you're messin' up the...ghetto.
It's time to make a change for the better
let's start with ourselves
the world is my sword and it's such a better feel
than the...ghetto.
A section where the Jews were restricted
where they separated blacks from the world, know ya history
...the ghetto
Most people wish that they were from but never come
'cause they know somebody dumb got a gun in the...ghetto.
There's real people that do real things
everybody don't have bling but we all have dreams
and is seems like they make the whole world
believe that there's nothing for you & me except
drugs an' BET in the...ghetto
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they murder they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
Yo it'll make you or break you
some people hate just to see how far it'll take you
the ghetto...is what we need to get out of
we get distracted an' what happens?
We forget 'bout love up in the...ghetto.
It's where the single mothers rise up, wise up
and put they foot down when times tough
and it seems like we make the whole world think that
there ain't no real men steppin' up to be fathers up in the...ghetto.
Afterlife, have the passion of the Christ
there'll be ashes spillin' right
so I sacrifice my life 'cause the...ghetto.
Tryin' ta kill, Master P fills
when you a college boy it's hard being a victim of the...
ghetto.
Jam is about to slam dominoes
Theory spits the facts .............
and it seems like we got the whole world following trends
they're even trying to mock ???
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they jump you they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
yeah...this is dedicated to my cousin Bryan Clark, keep ya head up, baby
(The ghetto)...
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they rob you they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
Boys & Girls grow up fast
chicken-heads run the streets as soon as they eggs hatch
players posted up, perkin' perpindicular
searchin' for a way but all they have is the...ghetto.
They settle for the street cred
instead of trying ta teach heads
the best way to walk in every path in the...ghetto.
It's sad 'cause we wanna bust shots
gettin' props for lickin' the block hot
you're messin' up the...ghetto.
It's time to make a change for the better
let's start with ourselves
the world is my sword and it's such a better feel
than the...ghetto.
A section where the Jews were restricted
where they separated blacks from the world, know ya history
...the ghetto
Most people wish that they were from but never come
'cause they know somebody dumb got a gun in the...ghetto.
There's real people that do real things
everybody don't have bling but we all have dreams
and is seems like they make the whole world
believe that there's nothing for you & me except
drugs an' BET in the...ghetto
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they murder they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
Yo it'll make you or break you
some people hate just to see how far it'll take you
the ghetto...is what we need to get out of
we get distracted an' what happens?
We forget 'bout love up in the...ghetto.
It's where the single mothers rise up, wise up
and put they foot down when times tough
and it seems like we make the whole world think that
there ain't no real men steppin' up to be fathers up in the...ghetto.
Afterlife, have the passion of the Christ
there'll be ashes spillin' right
so I sacrifice my life 'cause the...ghetto.
Tryin' ta kill, Master P fills
when you a college boy it's hard being a victim of the...
ghetto.
Jam is about to slam dominoes
Theory spits the facts .............
and it seems like we got the whole world following trends
they're even trying to mock ???
A place where Jake don't feel safe
'cause the thugs got the block locked down
there's no escape in the...ghetto.
There's petty hustlers, they flip fiends and uh
our holiday's every first and fifteenth
it's the...ghetto
A place where some people can't shine for themselves
so when they jump you they just cryin' for help
and it seems like we make the whole world go 'round
an' everybody wanna be down
copy the sounds of the...ghetto.
yeah...this is dedicated to my cousin Bryan Clark, keep ya head up, baby
Lyrics submitted by convince
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.