"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.
Where's all my soul sistas?
Lemme hear ya'll flow, sistas
Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista
Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, go sista
He met Marmalade down in old Moulin Rouge
Struttin' her stuff on the street
She said, "Hello, hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?"
Oh, uh-huh
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (hey, hey, hey)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (here)
Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya (ooh, yeah)
Creole Lady Marmalade
(What-what? What-what?)
Ooh, oh
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up
Boy drank all that Magnolia wine
On her black satin sheets' where he started to freak, yeah
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (da-da-da)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (ooh, yeah, yeah)
Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya (yeah, yeah)
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?
(Ce soir, what, what, what?)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Ooh
Yeah, yeah, uh
We come through with the money and the garter belts
Let him know we 'bout that cake straight out the gate (uh)
We independent women, some mistake us for whores
I'm sayin', "Why spend mine when I can spend yours?"
Disagree? Well, that's you, and I'm sorry
I'ma keep playing these cats out like Atari
Wear high heel shoes, get love from the dudes
Four badass chicks from the Moulin Rouge
Hey sistas, soul sistas, betta get that dough, sistas
We drink wine with diamonds in the glass
By the case, the meaning of expensive taste
If you wanna gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya (c'mon)
Mocha Chocolata (what?)
Creole Lady Marmalade
One more time, c'mon now
Marmalade (ooh)
Lady Marmalade (ooh, yeah, yeah)
Marmalade (no, yeah)
Hey, hey, hey
Touch of her skin, feeling silky smooth, hey
Color of café au lait, alright
Made the savage beast inside roar until he cried
More (more), more (more), more
Now he's back home doin' 9 to 5 (9 to 5)
He's livin' the grey flannel life
But when he turns off to sleep, memories creep
More (more), more (more), more
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (da-da, yeah)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (ooh)
Mocha Chocolata (ohh), ya-ya (oh)
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Ce soir)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (All my sistas, yeah)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Ce soir)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ohh (c'mon, uh)
Christina (hey, oh)
P!nk (Lady Marmalade)
Lil' Kim (hey, hey, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh)
Mya (oh-oh, oh, ohh)
Rockwilder, baby (baby)
Moulin Rouge (ooh-oh, da-duh, da-duh)
Misdemeanor here
Creole Lady Marmalade
Ooh, ooh-ooh, yes
Lemme hear ya'll flow, sistas
Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista
Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, go sista
He met Marmalade down in old Moulin Rouge
Struttin' her stuff on the street
She said, "Hello, hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?"
Oh, uh-huh
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (hey, hey, hey)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (here)
Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya (ooh, yeah)
Creole Lady Marmalade
(What-what? What-what?)
Ooh, oh
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up
Boy drank all that Magnolia wine
On her black satin sheets' where he started to freak, yeah
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (da-da-da)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (ooh, yeah, yeah)
Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya (yeah, yeah)
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?
(Ce soir, what, what, what?)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Ooh
Yeah, yeah, uh
We come through with the money and the garter belts
Let him know we 'bout that cake straight out the gate (uh)
We independent women, some mistake us for whores
I'm sayin', "Why spend mine when I can spend yours?"
Disagree? Well, that's you, and I'm sorry
I'ma keep playing these cats out like Atari
Wear high heel shoes, get love from the dudes
Four badass chicks from the Moulin Rouge
Hey sistas, soul sistas, betta get that dough, sistas
We drink wine with diamonds in the glass
By the case, the meaning of expensive taste
If you wanna gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya (c'mon)
Mocha Chocolata (what?)
Creole Lady Marmalade
One more time, c'mon now
Marmalade (ooh)
Lady Marmalade (ooh, yeah, yeah)
Marmalade (no, yeah)
Hey, hey, hey
Touch of her skin, feeling silky smooth, hey
Color of café au lait, alright
Made the savage beast inside roar until he cried
More (more), more (more), more
Now he's back home doin' 9 to 5 (9 to 5)
He's livin' the grey flannel life
But when he turns off to sleep, memories creep
More (more), more (more), more
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (da-da, yeah)
Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (ooh)
Mocha Chocolata (ohh), ya-ya (oh)
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Ce soir)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (All my sistas, yeah)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Ce soir)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ohh (c'mon, uh)
Christina (hey, oh)
P!nk (Lady Marmalade)
Lil' Kim (hey, hey, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh)
Mya (oh-oh, oh, ohh)
Rockwilder, baby (baby)
Moulin Rouge (ooh-oh, da-duh, da-duh)
Misdemeanor here
Creole Lady Marmalade
Ooh, ooh-ooh, yes
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Lady Marmalade [From "Moulin Rouge" Soundtrack] Lyrics as written by Robert Crewe Kenny Nolan
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.