"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.
I was at D-F-W
I had to call you
I had to say goodbye to my baby today
Remindin’ me of the days a-bow
That I stepped foot at that false base
But boo, you a star
You always are
You are so full of grace
And we ain’t spoken for so so long
But I think about you every day
It’s been a hard livin’
‘Cause you never know
When you’ll be lifted
Of the gift of livin’
I try to keep your head
Above the tears burnin’ down my face
She came to me from heaven
But right now I’ve got to put her on that seven twenty-seven
And I, I promised it’d be different
But it makes me rely today yeah yeah
If all we have is a story to pass
And a memory to embrace
Yet all of this
And I had to say goodbye to my baby today
I had to say bye bye to my baby
I had to say bye bye to my baby
Had to say bye bye
Goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to call you
I had to say goodbye to my baby today
Remindin’ me of the days a-bow
That I stepped foot at that false base
But boo, you a star
You always are
You are so full of grace
And we ain’t spoken for so so long
But I think about you every day
It’s been a hard livin’
‘Cause you never know
When you’ll be lifted
Of the gift of livin’
I try to keep your head
Above the tears burnin’ down my face
She came to me from heaven
But right now I’ve got to put her on that seven twenty-seven
And I, I promised it’d be different
But it makes me rely today yeah yeah
If all we have is a story to pass
And a memory to embrace
Yet all of this
And I had to say goodbye to my baby today
I had to say bye bye to my baby
I had to say bye bye to my baby
Had to say bye bye
Goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
I had to say goodbye goodbye goodbye to my baby today
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Curious about the reference to the air force base. Anybody know anything?
@relaxthemost Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls Texas. The airport you would use to leave there would be Dallas-Fort Worth....or DFW as it's known.
These lyrics are terribly wrong.
Reminded of the days abode to save the air force base should be:
Reminded me of the days of old at Shepherd Air Force Base