"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.
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Uh oh, lean back, girl you got some mean racks
You got a mean ass and I really mean that
But can't you see, that I need a girl, that can move
Make her hips swing and look just like you
But come to think about it, I think this club is crowded
It's kinda hard to do your thing when everyone's surrounding
So let me form a circle
Everybody step back
I heard somebody yell, "Where's the fuckin' party at?"
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Uh oh, let it pop, ladies, drop it like it's hot
Hell yeah, that's the spot, now bring it back to the top
Stop, whoa, now back it up, now back it up
Let it rise then watch it dump, shaking your junk in the trunk
And I like the way you move it smoothly
Now why don't you move that booty to me
I'm trying come up with some thoughts of attack,
Until I heard somebody yellin' out,
"Where's the fuckin' party at?"
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Knees bent, ass out, come on push your ass out
Bring it up then back down, bring it up then back down
All my ladies on the floor, all my ladies on the floor
Pick it up then dip it low, pick it up then dip it low
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Uh oh, lean back, girl you got some mean racks
You got a mean ass and I really mean that
But can't you see, that I need a girl, that can move
Make her hips swing and look just like you
But come to think about it, I think this club is crowded
It's kinda hard to do your thing when everyone's surrounding
So let me form a circle
Everybody step back
I heard somebody yell, "Where's the fuckin' party at?"
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Uh oh, let it pop, ladies, drop it like it's hot
Hell yeah, that's the spot, now bring it back to the top
Stop, whoa, now back it up, now back it up
Let it rise then watch it dump, shaking your junk in the trunk
And I like the way you move it smoothly
Now why don't you move that booty to me
I'm trying come up with some thoughts of attack,
Until I heard somebody yellin' out,
"Where's the fuckin' party at?"
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Knees bent, ass out, come on push your ass out
Bring it up then back down, bring it up then back down
All my ladies on the floor, all my ladies on the floor
Pick it up then dip it low, pick it up then dip it low
Oh shit, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips swing (x2)
Now drop it low (and let me see your hips swing)
Down to the floor (now let me see your hips swing) (x2)
Lyrics submitted by aristuma21
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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”
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
'Miss May I' did it better.