"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.
[Verse 1]
[Brian Matthew] The next few minutes, we're in the lap of the gods and the hands of the Beatles In my young days, when I was a lad, they used to have actors in films and now that they--
[Paul] Yes?
[John] Hey! Listen!
[Paul] It's all changed, now, Brian They're not doing that, no actors
[John] It's all changed, now
[Brian] But this is what I wonder In those days, the actors used to say their best bits were left on the cutting room floor Did you find that?
[John] No, no, no, those were the good bits in the film You should have seen the rest
[Verse 2]
[Brian] Yes?
[John] Rubbish!
[Brian] Was it, really?
[John] Even worse, yes
[Brian] Who was worst?
[John] Oh, Paul
[Brian] I see
[Paul] I think John was about the worst
[John] No, it was you
[Verse 3]
[Paul] Oh, Ringo was very good He was He's a good lad
[Brian] He was They're saying he's a new Charlie Chaplin Do you think that's right?
[John] He was miming
[Paul] You, too, with Jason
[John] Oh, yes, he's an old one Okay, Ring?
[Brian] Beginning to look like that Now, then--
[Ringo] All right, John Can you hear me?
[Verse 4]
[Paul] Can you hear him? Hello!
[Brian] Not really I hope not I hope not!
[John] We brought you the flowers, Ring
[Brian] He's not allowed to talk
[Ringo] Eh?
[John] We brought you the flowers
[Verse 5]
[Ringo] Oh, good
[John] And the grapes
[Ringo] Oh, I like grapes
[Paul] He likes grapes
[George] We've been to Portugal
[Brian] Guess who's, guess who's top of the pops in Portugal, then
[Verse 6]
[All] Who?
[Brian] Los Beatles
[John] Los Beatles? Great, great laugh
[Brian] I don't suppose you know the title of your film in Portuguese?
[John] No Crinsk dee Night?
[Brian] Could be Let's hear the number, shall we?
[John] Right
[Brian Matthew] The next few minutes, we're in the lap of the gods and the hands of the Beatles In my young days, when I was a lad, they used to have actors in films and now that they--
[Paul] Yes?
[John] Hey! Listen!
[Paul] It's all changed, now, Brian They're not doing that, no actors
[John] It's all changed, now
[Brian] But this is what I wonder In those days, the actors used to say their best bits were left on the cutting room floor Did you find that?
[John] No, no, no, those were the good bits in the film You should have seen the rest
[Verse 2]
[Brian] Yes?
[John] Rubbish!
[Brian] Was it, really?
[John] Even worse, yes
[Brian] Who was worst?
[John] Oh, Paul
[Brian] I see
[Paul] I think John was about the worst
[John] No, it was you
[Verse 3]
[Paul] Oh, Ringo was very good He was He's a good lad
[Brian] He was They're saying he's a new Charlie Chaplin Do you think that's right?
[John] He was miming
[Paul] You, too, with Jason
[John] Oh, yes, he's an old one Okay, Ring?
[Brian] Beginning to look like that Now, then--
[Ringo] All right, John Can you hear me?
[Verse 4]
[Paul] Can you hear him? Hello!
[Brian] Not really I hope not I hope not!
[John] We brought you the flowers, Ring
[Brian] He's not allowed to talk
[Ringo] Eh?
[John] We brought you the flowers
[Verse 5]
[Ringo] Oh, good
[John] And the grapes
[Ringo] Oh, I like grapes
[Paul] He likes grapes
[George] We've been to Portugal
[Brian] Guess who's, guess who's top of the pops in Portugal, then
[Verse 6]
[All] Who?
[Brian] Los Beatles
[John] Los Beatles? Great, great laugh
[Brian] I don't suppose you know the title of your film in Portuguese?
[John] No Crinsk dee Night?
[Brian] Could be Let's hear the number, shall we?
[John] Right
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Just A Little Lovin'
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Punchline
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.