"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.
Well turn it up loud, mix it up strong
Lean it back slow, get your feel good on
Cut 'em off short, roll it up tight
Let it unwind tonight
Drop down the top down on the Pontiac
Where ever you wind up is where the party's at
Break out the bottle of Bacardi black
And don't look back 'cause
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times, while there's still time
Well lay it all out, spray it on sweet
Carve it in oak and permanent ink
And park it way back, fog it on up
Singin' whoaohh, whoaohh
Radio spillin' from a single cab
She looks so good with her silver tabs
Hangin' on a branch by the river
That's a memory that'll get you when you look back
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times, while there's still time
Drop down the top down on the Pontiac
Where ever you wind up is where the party's at
Break out the bottle of Bacardi Black
And don't look back 'cause
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times
Well here's to the good times and the moonshine
And the blue eyes under the moonlight
Here's to the good times
Here's to the good times
Buzzin on moonwine
Loving you all night
Under the moonlight
Here's to the good times
While there's still time
Lean it back slow, get your feel good on
Cut 'em off short, roll it up tight
Let it unwind tonight
Drop down the top down on the Pontiac
Where ever you wind up is where the party's at
Break out the bottle of Bacardi black
And don't look back 'cause
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times, while there's still time
Well lay it all out, spray it on sweet
Carve it in oak and permanent ink
And park it way back, fog it on up
Singin' whoaohh, whoaohh
Radio spillin' from a single cab
She looks so good with her silver tabs
Hangin' on a branch by the river
That's a memory that'll get you when you look back
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times, while there's still time
Drop down the top down on the Pontiac
Where ever you wind up is where the party's at
Break out the bottle of Bacardi Black
And don't look back 'cause
Here's to the good times, here's to the sunshine
Here's to the ice you float your beer in
To the tops they pop and the tan lines disappearin'
Oh my, my
She's a little bit tipsy
Leans in for a kiss, she's stealin' your heart just like a gypsy
And there you are just a drunken star, just fallin' in her eyes
Here's to the good times
Well here's to the good times and the moonshine
And the blue eyes under the moonlight
Here's to the good times
Here's to the good times
Buzzin on moonwine
Loving you all night
Under the moonlight
Here's to the good times
While there's still time
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
It's about living life and loving every minute of it. It's also saying how short life is.