"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.
I've never had something mess me up like this
it changed everything
in my surroundings
the world came falling and my face went with it
you were a sunset
i was a hurricane
well i can't ever remember missing you like this
i changed everything
i abandoned you
i pushed the button to trigger the end of the world
you are a sunset
i was a hurricane
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me back
well all the words in my mouth gonna tell you about this
letter by letter
they are pulling out my insides
i take back i take back i take back i take back everything
well i've ordered all the clouds to rain on your parade
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me
for once i was tall
bigger than all them
i was a man
you should have seen me
for all this time
i've had my eyes shut
to arms that are wide open
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me back
it changed everything
in my surroundings
the world came falling and my face went with it
you were a sunset
i was a hurricane
well i can't ever remember missing you like this
i changed everything
i abandoned you
i pushed the button to trigger the end of the world
you are a sunset
i was a hurricane
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me back
well all the words in my mouth gonna tell you about this
letter by letter
they are pulling out my insides
i take back i take back i take back i take back everything
well i've ordered all the clouds to rain on your parade
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me
for once i was tall
bigger than all them
i was a man
you should have seen me
for all this time
i've had my eyes shut
to arms that are wide open
say what you want
but i'm still fine
change the world
not before i lose my mind
say what you want but it's still me
change for sure
but nothing's holding me back
Lyrics submitted by Gstarrr, edited by louise1121
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.