"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.
Let's change the subject to someone else
You know lately I've been subject to change
Normally I reel in the strange
Hangover, I'm older
You're one to talk, the heart is a clock
Just like a bomb it keeps on ticking away
Counting down to detonate
You will need an army to summon me
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you, ooh, ooh
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
My past is getting us nowhere fast
I was never one for taking things slow
Nowhere seems like somewhere to go
Come over, and over
Doing my time for line after line
When will I learn to sing these crimes to myself?
Prisoners to share a cell with
I'm holding, still holding
Holding you in
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you, ooh, ooh
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
Where the hell are you? Ooh, ooh
Where the hell are you? Ooh, ooh
Where the hell are you?
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
It's just a matter of time
Time
You know lately I've been subject to change
Normally I reel in the strange
Hangover, I'm older
You're one to talk, the heart is a clock
Just like a bomb it keeps on ticking away
Counting down to detonate
You will need an army to summon me
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you, ooh, ooh
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
My past is getting us nowhere fast
I was never one for taking things slow
Nowhere seems like somewhere to go
Come over, and over
Doing my time for line after line
When will I learn to sing these crimes to myself?
Prisoners to share a cell with
I'm holding, still holding
Holding you in
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you, ooh, ooh
It doesn't matter much to me
If it doesn't matter much to you
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
Where the hell are you? Ooh, ooh
Where the hell are you? Ooh, ooh
Where the hell are you?
It's just a matter of time before, before
It's just a matter of time before, before
And though I hate to rewind before, before
It's just a matter of time
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
What does it matter now?
It's just a matter of time
Time
Lyrics submitted by intothegrinder2
A Matter Of Time Lyrics as written by Taylor Hawkins David Eric Grohl
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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The whole song isn't about anyone in particular when he says "me". He wrote it in first person for the effect, it ties in the meaning of the song. It's a matter of time before reality hits. You have to be true to who you are, learn from mistakes... jump in head first into the unknown and oh, bring your friends.
My past is getting us nowhere fast. I was never one for taking things slow. Nowhere seems like somewhere to go. Come over, and over.
This is the only line that really supports my opinion but he's totally sarcastic with the rest of the lines. Check it out
Doing my time for line after line. When will i learn to sing these crimes to myself? Prisoners to share a cell with. I'm holding, still holding. Holding you in.
Making decisions your not comfortable with but doing it because the other "prisoners" are doing it too- it's not comfortable in a jail cell. But you do it anyway?
Love them!