"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.
Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce
And a couple of kids of course, they don't mean anything
Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass high school, means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything
And I shout that you're all snakes (FAKES!)
And you should of seen the look on your face
And I guess thats what it takes, when comparing your bellyaches
And it's been a long time, which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry If I dissed you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce
And a couple of kids of course, they DON'T MEAN ANYTHING!
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything
Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass high school, means nothing
And I shout that you're all fakes (FAKES!)
And you should of seen the look on your face
And I guess thats what it takes, when comparing your bellyaches
And it's been a long time, which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry If I dissed you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
And you spend the rest of your life looking for, looking for the child that you were
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
And you spend the rest of your life looking for, looking for the child that you were
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
Everything you say about
Everything you say about
Everything you say about is everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about, you know you know about
Everything you know about, everything you know about now
Everything you know about, everything you know about now
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about now, everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Well, ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I think I'll walk right out of this door
Ice on the sheets and I'm looking at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk right out the door
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I had to laugh
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out this door, it never stops, I'll never stop
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I might walk out this door, well I never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I had to laugh
I had to laugh, had to laugh
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk, well I will walk out the door
And there's Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
A spark in my arm, and I don't know any more
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
A spark in my arm, you say that I will never stop, never stop
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, so I had to laugh
You didn't say that you said what you said
You meant that you would free me
I didn't know that you meant what you meant
When you said that you had so much more to say to me
And I said well . . .
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and I can never stop
A spark in my arm, and I'm on the floor
If I can't blink I'll walk out the door, and I'll never stop
I'm sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
Then you said, you said walk another mile I can't talk, I can't talk
Ice on my legs, and I'm on the floor
And I look at you're head, it can't take any more, it never stops
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I laughed
And said why don't you shut the fuck up now
Written my long song, my heart says some things
I don't want to deny, I just ain't at your bank or nothing anymore
I didn't know what you said, that you meant what you said
that you said, you said nothing at all
You said I need to leave, and I can't be what you want
I need to be with somebody I love
I didn't mean to say what you know in your head
You said I didn't know I said anything, I said you didn't say.
I never stop, I never stop
Sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
You said you couldn't stand, you don't walk a mile
You said, I said I don't want to, I don't want to
Sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
Well I'm so dusted I can't see that stars
There just like clocks, stars look just like clocks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce
And a couple of kids of course, they don't mean anything
Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass high school, means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything
And I shout that you're all snakes (FAKES!)
And you should of seen the look on your face
And I guess thats what it takes, when comparing your bellyaches
And it's been a long time, which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry If I dissed you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce
And a couple of kids of course, they DON'T MEAN ANYTHING!
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything
Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass high school, means nothing
And I shout that you're all fakes (FAKES!)
And you should of seen the look on your face
And I guess thats what it takes, when comparing your bellyaches
And it's been a long time, which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry If I dissed you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And I'm sorry if I dissed you, oh
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
And you spend the rest of your life looking for, looking for the child that you were
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
And you spend the rest of your life looking for, looking for the child that you were
And you spend the most of your life looking for the adult you are
Everything you say about
Everything you say about
Everything you say about is everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about, you know you know about
Everything you know about, everything you know about now
Everything you know about, everything you know about now
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about now, everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Well, ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I think I'll walk right out of this door
Ice on the sheets and I'm looking at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk right out the door
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Everything you know about
Ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Ice on the sheets, look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I had to laugh
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out this door, it never stops, I'll never stop
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I might walk out this door, well I never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I had to laugh
I had to laugh, had to laugh
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk, well I will walk out the door
And there's Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
A spark in my arm, and I don't know any more
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
A spark in my arm, you say that I will never stop, never stop
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and never stop
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, so I had to laugh
You didn't say that you said what you said
You meant that you would free me
I didn't know that you meant what you meant
When you said that you had so much more to say to me
And I said well . . .
Ice on the sheets, and I'm on the floor
As soon as I can walk I'll walk out the door, and I can never stop
A spark in my arm, and I'm on the floor
If I can't blink I'll walk out the door, and I'll never stop
I'm sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
Then you said, you said walk another mile I can't talk, I can't talk
Ice on my legs, and I'm on the floor
And I look at you're head, it can't take any more, it never stops
Looking at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gun point, and I laughed
And said why don't you shut the fuck up now
Written my long song, my heart says some things
I don't want to deny, I just ain't at your bank or nothing anymore
I didn't know what you said, that you meant what you said
that you said, you said nothing at all
You said I need to leave, and I can't be what you want
I need to be with somebody I love
I didn't mean to say what you know in your head
You said I didn't know I said anything, I said you didn't say.
I never stop, I never stop
Sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
You said you couldn't stand, you don't walk a mile
You said, I said I don't want to, I don't want to
Sitting by the river with the saucepan smile
Well I'm so dusted I can't see that stars
There just like clocks, stars look just like clocks
Lyrics submitted by Peanuts27
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
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
where can i find this version?