"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.
Mmh
Mh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Whoa, no, oh, no
Whoa, oh, no
Whoa, no, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, no
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
I don't care about what you think, you see
The things you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been through and paid my dues
Can't change how you feel
'Cause it's all on you, whoa, whoa, oh, yeah
I wish that you could be a little bit more upfront
Weigh the situation how you want (right)
The lovin' that you claim is just a four letter word
The third letter's invitin' so visualize the verb
You curve thoughtways when you're handlin' the candleabra
So you sittin' on the baby grand
Transmittin' like you're made of man
But you paint a funny face like a chick
When I see you I'ma tell you quick that, uh
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
I can't believe we built this large pizza pie together, no pepperoni
Yeah, you wanted extra cheese, sometimes I gave you extras
How we divided slices like the Red Sea theory
I was Moses hopelessly scorned by your thorn Zipporah
Tried to bring that fairy-tale life, you wanted horror
But my microscope couldn't see or cope with that
I had to bolt from that and left you dead in the sea
It's better for me, I'm satisfied with reppin' for D
We were certified hot then dropped to lukewarm
Now we back up in the spot, claimin' never been gone
Niggas who cut us off, wanna re-attach us now
Them girls who brushed us off, say they want some numbers to dial
Yeah, I give that ass a number and some lumber to pile
Now catch a curve from my kick (won't show me love if I brick)
So stick to the same plan, don't come shakin' my hand
Like we peeps, it ain't beef but be sure to understand
Between us, it ain't all
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
You see them kids be schemin' on what we done copped
Always out there schemin'
They steady fiendin' for the moment they can get us off the block
Why they always fiendin'? Yeah
Your people might have your back
But you need to watch your front
Indeed, ain't nothin' guaranteed
That's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
Whoa, no, oh, no
A lot say they wanna walk in my size tens
Aight then, here's a pair
Lace 'em up tight then you might feel what was dealt to me
You see ain't no young boys up in here, keep a clear head
Tryin' to keep my pockets on stuffed like deer heads
Upon the wall, so all the gall we get from y'all don't faze
So mind your biz and walk aways
'Cause I'm never gonna let you up inside my maze
I don't care about what you think you see
The thangs you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been there and paid my dues
I can't change how you feel 'cause it's all on you, whoa, whoa
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you, yeah, yeah (it's all on you)
Whoa, oh, no (ooh, na, na, yeah)
Whoa, no, oh, oh (whoa, whoa, hey, ain't good)
Whoa, no (it's all up to you)
Whoa, oh, no (yeah, yeah)
Whoa, whoa, whoa (whoa, whoa)
Whoa, oh, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, no, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, no, no, no (oh, no)
Whoa, oh, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, oh, no (whoa, whoa)
no, no-no, no-no (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Whoa, oh, no
Mh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Whoa, no, oh, no
Whoa, oh, no
Whoa, no, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, no
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
I don't care about what you think, you see
The things you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been through and paid my dues
Can't change how you feel
'Cause it's all on you, whoa, whoa, oh, yeah
I wish that you could be a little bit more upfront
Weigh the situation how you want (right)
The lovin' that you claim is just a four letter word
The third letter's invitin' so visualize the verb
You curve thoughtways when you're handlin' the candleabra
So you sittin' on the baby grand
Transmittin' like you're made of man
But you paint a funny face like a chick
When I see you I'ma tell you quick that, uh
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
I can't believe we built this large pizza pie together, no pepperoni
Yeah, you wanted extra cheese, sometimes I gave you extras
How we divided slices like the Red Sea theory
I was Moses hopelessly scorned by your thorn Zipporah
Tried to bring that fairy-tale life, you wanted horror
But my microscope couldn't see or cope with that
I had to bolt from that and left you dead in the sea
It's better for me, I'm satisfied with reppin' for D
We were certified hot then dropped to lukewarm
Now we back up in the spot, claimin' never been gone
Niggas who cut us off, wanna re-attach us now
Them girls who brushed us off, say they want some numbers to dial
Yeah, I give that ass a number and some lumber to pile
Now catch a curve from my kick (won't show me love if I brick)
So stick to the same plan, don't come shakin' my hand
Like we peeps, it ain't beef but be sure to understand
Between us, it ain't all
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
You see them kids be schemin' on what we done copped
Always out there schemin'
They steady fiendin' for the moment they can get us off the block
Why they always fiendin'? Yeah
Your people might have your back
But you need to watch your front
Indeed, ain't nothin' guaranteed
That's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
Whoa, no, oh, no
A lot say they wanna walk in my size tens
Aight then, here's a pair
Lace 'em up tight then you might feel what was dealt to me
You see ain't no young boys up in here, keep a clear head
Tryin' to keep my pockets on stuffed like deer heads
Upon the wall, so all the gall we get from y'all don't faze
So mind your biz and walk aways
'Cause I'm never gonna let you up inside my maze
I don't care about what you think you see
The thangs you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been there and paid my dues
I can't change how you feel 'cause it's all on you, whoa, whoa
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you
It ain't all good and that's the truth
Things ain't goin' like you think they should
It's all on you, yeah, yeah (it's all on you)
Whoa, oh, no (ooh, na, na, yeah)
Whoa, no, oh, oh (whoa, whoa, hey, ain't good)
Whoa, no (it's all up to you)
Whoa, oh, no (yeah, yeah)
Whoa, whoa, whoa (whoa, whoa)
Whoa, oh, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, no, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, no, no, no (oh, no)
Whoa, oh, no (it ain't all good, no)
Whoa, oh, no (whoa, whoa)
no, no-no, no-no (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Whoa, oh, no
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
All Good Lyrics as written by David J Jolicoeur Chaka Khan
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
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.