"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.
You would look a little better
Don't you know
If you just wore less make-up
But its hard to realize
When you're sky high
Fighting off the spaceships
And so you're drinking in your room
To make it all go
It didn't end too soon
You've got the next one
You're holding on too long
You've got to let go
Your other love is gone
And you know
Its too late
Its too late
You've got another one coming
And its going to be the same
I tried to find a quiet place that we could go
To help you make decisions
But I didn't find it easy to tell them apart
With double vision
And so you're drinking in your room
To make it all go
It didn't end too soon
You've got the next one
You're holding on too long
You've got to let go
Your other love is gone
And you know
Its not the same
Its not the same
Its not the same
You're going to tell me that I'm right
You're going to come back down
And find yourself
Where you are again
You didn't know
You didn't know
You didn't know
So don't pretend you saw it now
Its not something you'd want to happen
Now you know who you are again
Don't you know
If you just wore less make-up
But its hard to realize
When you're sky high
Fighting off the spaceships
And so you're drinking in your room
To make it all go
It didn't end too soon
You've got the next one
You're holding on too long
You've got to let go
Your other love is gone
And you know
Its too late
Its too late
You've got another one coming
And its going to be the same
I tried to find a quiet place that we could go
To help you make decisions
But I didn't find it easy to tell them apart
With double vision
And so you're drinking in your room
To make it all go
It didn't end too soon
You've got the next one
You're holding on too long
You've got to let go
Your other love is gone
And you know
Its not the same
Its not the same
Its not the same
You're going to tell me that I'm right
You're going to come back down
And find yourself
Where you are again
You didn't know
You didn't know
You didn't know
So don't pretend you saw it now
Its not something you'd want to happen
Now you know who you are again
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I have to get this off my chest - I heard this song 2 days ago, and ever since I haven't been able to get it out of my head - the lyrics, the sounds (especially the last chorus OMG), everything it's just perfect to me. personally, the song pretty much mirrors my situation at the moment, which is probably why I love it and yet hate it at the same time.
Basically to me, it's someone trying to console their friend, and telling them that holding on to the idea of getting back with their ex is a bad one, but the friend is so blinded by their feelings that they're "sky high...fighting off the spaceships". The person feels so much sadness and insecurity about the relationship ending so soon (mine lasted a month) but the friend tells them it was meant to be: "it didn't end too soon", that person was simply bad for them. The singer takes the friend somewhere "quiet", away from the noise of painful gossip, so they can make better "decisions". The worst part for the person singing to see is that the friend isn't letting go even when they've "got the next one", a possibly better chance at love - and they are "gone" if the friend doesn't see that. The person believes that the friend will one day see this however, when they "come back down" and find themselves back at the beginning: "where [they] are again".
For some reason, I interpret the last lyric as the friend singing - he's angry, perhaps because deep deep down he's scared that the singer might be right about them never being with that girl/guy again. he/she dismisses the singer's empathy, saying "you didn't know" so "don't pretend you sorta know", and "it's not something you'd want to happen". That, or possibly the singer saying the friend doesn't know why the relationship ended, and it's perhaps better that way, because the experience of breaking up in itself was enough education - now the person knows "who [they] are again", they don't have to compromise themselves for their "partner" anymore, and can make better choices next time with someone truly right for them.
That being said..I miss my ex :/
Also, when the singer says "another one is coming and it's gonna be the same", I think the "same" part could be interpreted positively. The friend wants the feeling and the emotions that went right in the last relationship to be in the next one, and it's that fear of losing that "same" feeling that keeps the friend so desperately clinging to the ex.