"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.
No illusions
No replays
Heads are watching, currents wave
Bodies huddle
Birthing flame
I'm a watchman
I'm a slave
Now I'm safe
Now I'm grave
Now I'm safe
And I walk away
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
No replays
Heads are watching, currents wave
Bodies huddle
Birthing flame
I'm a watchman
I'm a slave
Now I'm safe
Now I'm grave
Now I'm safe
And I walk away
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
If my head slips beneath the sand
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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
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”
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/
In my view the song is about the Tybee Island Lighthouse.
i am pretty sure about this when i read the lines:
"...I'm a watchman I'm a slave (Because the lighthouse is to guard the coast line and prevent shipwrecks for however long, until it is demolished or replaced or is put out of service, but all of it is regardless of it's will)
Now I'm safe Now I'm grave Now I'm safe..."
(Thses lines make me think of the light house switching the light on and off and then on again, on a dark and foggy night, when there are a lot of ships out by the coast)
Also this song sounds like Jake the dog could write it and sing it.