"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.
Bring me back to an hour ago
Time stands still as the years go by
Brown-eyed girl that's throwing down a bottle of Old English
Back in the warehouse
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
Sleep on the floor on cardboard
Stab out my heart like a dartboard
Brown-skinned girl, I had a dream about a long, long time now
From the Midwest to the beach
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
Time stands still as the years go by
Brown-eyed girl that's throwing down a bottle of Old English
Back in the warehouse
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
Sleep on the floor on cardboard
Stab out my heart like a dartboard
Brown-skinned girl, I had a dream about a long, long time now
From the Midwest to the beach
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
Old days are fine, but are left so far behind
From California to Jane Street
Kids alright, alright as they'll ever be
'Cause you will always be my
Well, you will always by my
You will always be my sweet 16
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Quite simply, it's a song about Billie and his marriage to Adrienne. Even after all these years, he still see's the "Brown-eyed girl that's throwing down a bottle of Old English back in the warehouse".