"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.
Sometimes the things get so jaded
Still my heart slowly beats
Sometimes life gets complicated
Still the world around me sleeps
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, what I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
Undo what's done!
Sometimes the things get so faded
How is it that you can't see?
Sometimes life seems overrated
Makes my heart slowly bleed
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
Undo what's done!
Undo what's done!
Undo what's done!
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
Still my heart slowly beats
Sometimes life gets complicated
Still the world around me sleeps
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, what I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
Undo what's done!
Sometimes the things get so faded
How is it that you can't see?
Sometimes life seems overrated
Makes my heart slowly bleed
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
Undo what's done!
Undo what's done!
Undo what's done!
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
I'm ashamed, not to blame
Don't wanna think about it
Who I am, What I've done
How do I carry on?
Wanna change, turn the page
Don't wanna think about it
How do I undo what's done?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
damn,i can totally relate to this song.when he says i'm ashamed, i'm to blame don't wanna think about it it really hits home for me.don't wanna go into detail on how cuz that will take forever.it's saying that he's to blame for something that happened,ie the end of a relationship.he doesn't wanna think about it.he keeps wondering how the hell he undoes something that's already done