"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.
Hey I don't need no chickenshit business man
tellin' me what to do
Even if you ain't got no business
same thing goes for you
I don't need no sweet faced woman
goin sour mouthed on me
If I work like a dog night an day
to give her a hundred time more'n she needs
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
You say it ain't no different'n
Any other place to go
Well you ain't been with me
Or you'd already know
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
That'll make me need to go
Well I don't need no stinky Pinky
sing to me about the common man
Some cowboy fake who think all it takes
is a hat on his head and a Grammy in his hand
An I don't need no weekend warrior
out there protectin me
If he's dumb with a gun as he is with his tongue
when he's shootin off on TV
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
You say it ain't no different'n
Any other place to go
Well you must be a yankee
Or your just kinda slow…cause
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
Makes you need these Texas roads
Well I don't need no dime a dozen
ah New Age way to live
An I don't need no two bit preacher
condemn me because I don't give him my
money money money money money money money
I don't need no Soldier Boy
fightin no war for me
You can burn the flag an melt the statue
gonna live my liberties…cause
I'mGone to Texas baby
Might go straight on to the moon
Gone to Texas baby
Can't get enough too soon
Say Texas ain't no different'n
Goin' straight to Hell can be
Hey you must be a critic
Are you too blind to see…
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
Gonna heel the hell out of me
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
tellin' me what to do
Even if you ain't got no business
same thing goes for you
I don't need no sweet faced woman
goin sour mouthed on me
If I work like a dog night an day
to give her a hundred time more'n she needs
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
You say it ain't no different'n
Any other place to go
Well you ain't been with me
Or you'd already know
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
That'll make me need to go
Well I don't need no stinky Pinky
sing to me about the common man
Some cowboy fake who think all it takes
is a hat on his head and a Grammy in his hand
An I don't need no weekend warrior
out there protectin me
If he's dumb with a gun as he is with his tongue
when he's shootin off on TV
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
You say it ain't no different'n
Any other place to go
Well you must be a yankee
Or your just kinda slow…cause
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
Makes you need these Texas roads
Well I don't need no dime a dozen
ah New Age way to live
An I don't need no two bit preacher
condemn me because I don't give him my
money money money money money money money
I don't need no Soldier Boy
fightin no war for me
You can burn the flag an melt the statue
gonna live my liberties…cause
I'mGone to Texas baby
Might go straight on to the moon
Gone to Texas baby
Can't get enough too soon
Say Texas ain't no different'n
Goin' straight to Hell can be
Hey you must be a critic
Are you too blind to see…
It's just the feel of the deal
from behind the wheel
Gonna heel the hell out of me
Gone to Texas baby
Gone to Texas tonight
Gone to Texas baby
All I need is the ride
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Gone to Texas Lyrics as written by Terry Allen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.