"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.
My tragedy's different
My life's deep, listen,
Gotta bail, I'm limpin
Walked outta hell's kitchen
Why bother cherishin'
My past is everything, wrong, and my arrogance
Walk down the stairs pissin'
Cop us cause they're bitchin'
Life isn't fair, singin'
Blues and my rap drippin'
Ooze out the blood sinkin
Deep down to earth thinking
Leave out a nerp chicken
I should run, forfeit, and everything I know listen!
I was the misdirected
I was the least expected
Hop on and get rejected
Walk on and feel neglected
I feel like I'm the message
Unheard but I'm the message
I'm the last prolific remaining offer from the gutter
Shot was my girlfriend
When we was younger
Her I was scarred yo
Bullets I survived though
Death it's came easy
Truth the games needs me
Never let them see me down, smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus:]
Smile when your struggling
Smile when your in jail
Smile when your dead broke
Smile and the rents due
Smile you ain't got friends now
Smile and no one knows you
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
Smile when he leaves you
Smile cause girl he needs you
Smile plenty single mothers cry the tears you do
Smile despite the war
Smile despite the pain yo
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
To my man Kareem in prison
I can't speak your name
It hurt me that you never listened
It can't be the same
I had to grow my intuition
Had me deep in pain
Cause I knew my options were either broke or the prison chains
I can't do it
I can't see it, look
Dammit, I can't blow it
I got a judge telling me my life's key
They will throw it
No sir
I plan to have a chauffeur
It seems to me this chopping crack is really going no where
Therefore
I'm resurrected
They call me
The poor injection
I infect you with the real
The dustyfeetphilosahectagos
I spit, so sick
I skid out
I'm fallin'
I'm shit outta luck and I'm trapped but I'll get out
Can you help me
I'm going crazy
My mom plays trix and I beat on the floor like bush wick
My fists bloody and blistered
A pair like I'm ballistic
I just stare at the red and smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus]
There are a few things you gotta take into account
I'm not an entertainer I've never been a clown
I was born where the mothers give birth while they frown
I would walk with the kids that would bra sound ah
Never really thought I'd make it to fourteen
And anybody wanted to fight I was most keen
Plus I had a little temper it was often foreseen
Yo say something bout my momma id shoot ya dead out clean
But ya gotta keep in mind that I grew up Mogadishu (tell em)
The only law was gun law
And we don't walk with a pistol
You get laughed at for being so insensitive to the environment
Cause how will you be heard when those big boys are firin'
War is no place for a child
Especially if hes rollin' with an ak and a smile
He had witnesses on mother bloody in a towel
But please, please, please, please
But never let em see you down smile while you bleedin'
[Chorus: x2]
My life's deep, listen,
Gotta bail, I'm limpin
Walked outta hell's kitchen
Why bother cherishin'
My past is everything, wrong, and my arrogance
Walk down the stairs pissin'
Cop us cause they're bitchin'
Life isn't fair, singin'
Blues and my rap drippin'
Ooze out the blood sinkin
Deep down to earth thinking
Leave out a nerp chicken
I should run, forfeit, and everything I know listen!
I was the misdirected
I was the least expected
Hop on and get rejected
Walk on and feel neglected
I feel like I'm the message
Unheard but I'm the message
I'm the last prolific remaining offer from the gutter
Shot was my girlfriend
When we was younger
Her I was scarred yo
Bullets I survived though
Death it's came easy
Truth the games needs me
Never let them see me down, smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus:]
Smile when your struggling
Smile when your in jail
Smile when your dead broke
Smile and the rents due
Smile you ain't got friends now
Smile and no one knows you
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
Smile when he leaves you
Smile cause girl he needs you
Smile plenty single mothers cry the tears you do
Smile despite the war
Smile despite the pain yo
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
To my man Kareem in prison
I can't speak your name
It hurt me that you never listened
It can't be the same
I had to grow my intuition
Had me deep in pain
Cause I knew my options were either broke or the prison chains
I can't do it
I can't see it, look
Dammit, I can't blow it
I got a judge telling me my life's key
They will throw it
No sir
I plan to have a chauffeur
It seems to me this chopping crack is really going no where
Therefore
I'm resurrected
They call me
The poor injection
I infect you with the real
The dustyfeetphilosahectagos
I spit, so sick
I skid out
I'm fallin'
I'm shit outta luck and I'm trapped but I'll get out
Can you help me
I'm going crazy
My mom plays trix and I beat on the floor like bush wick
My fists bloody and blistered
A pair like I'm ballistic
I just stare at the red and smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus]
There are a few things you gotta take into account
I'm not an entertainer I've never been a clown
I was born where the mothers give birth while they frown
I would walk with the kids that would bra sound ah
Never really thought I'd make it to fourteen
And anybody wanted to fight I was most keen
Plus I had a little temper it was often foreseen
Yo say something bout my momma id shoot ya dead out clean
But ya gotta keep in mind that I grew up Mogadishu (tell em)
The only law was gun law
And we don't walk with a pistol
You get laughed at for being so insensitive to the environment
Cause how will you be heard when those big boys are firin'
War is no place for a child
Especially if hes rollin' with an ak and a smile
He had witnesses on mother bloody in a towel
But please, please, please, please
But never let em see you down smile while you bleedin'
[Chorus: x2]
Lyrics submitted by rockisgroovy
Smile Lyrics as written by Keinan Warsame Art Powell
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I really love this song and suggest to anyone who hasn't heard of K'naan or this song to have a listen. I just want to play it for the whole world right now because it is so touching.
The song basically means despite the pain you are going through, be happy and live your life to the fullest because you will make it through the hard times if you keep your head held high.