"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.
Mistakes made, judging me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
I keep doing me, before I lose myself
Made a lotta mistakes, had breaks
But give what it takes
Where was you when he died, ha?
Where was you when I cried, ah?
It was cold had no jacket, but nah
I bought me that jacket
Been working hard for that money
I've proven myself
One day I'm coming home
With the rum, rum, rari
I will never forget
You regret, so fuck your sorry
Mistakes made, judging me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
When I got the money
You be thinking like, oh fuck
Thought he's never gonna make it
But nah, I buy that watch
Helping the people that need it
Just like I needed you
That's just how I am
Believe it, that's the truth
Gave about fuck about me ha
Now i give a fuck about you yeah
Care 'bout the ones that love me
Don't tell me right now you do, yeah
One day I'm coming home
With the rum, rum, rari
I will never forget
You regret, so fuck your sorry
Mistakes made, judging me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
I keep doing me, before I lose myself
Made a lotta mistakes, had breaks
But give what it takes
Where was you when he died, ha?
Where was you when I cried, ah?
It was cold had no jacket, but nah
I bought me that jacket
Been working hard for that money
I've proven myself
One day I'm coming home
With the rum, rum, rari
I will never forget
You regret, so fuck your sorry
Mistakes made, judging me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
When I got the money
You be thinking like, oh fuck
Thought he's never gonna make it
But nah, I buy that watch
Helping the people that need it
Just like I needed you
That's just how I am
Believe it, that's the truth
Gave about fuck about me ha
Now i give a fuck about you yeah
Care 'bout the ones that love me
Don't tell me right now you do, yeah
One day I'm coming home
With the rum, rum, rari
I will never forget
You regret, so fuck your sorry
Mistakes made, judging me
But don't even know that I improved
You tellin' me you have no time
When I came through
That's just fact that you don't wanna see me
By all this shit happened to me
I can't believe
I thought we are family
But we ain't, so I keep doing me
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.