"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've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address
In a torn up town, no postcode envy
But every song's like
Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't care
We're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like
Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
My friends and I, we've cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows
That we're fine with this, we didn't come from money
But every song's like
Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't care
We're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like
Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
Oh
Oh (oh, oh)
We're bigger than we ever dreamed
And I'm in love with being queen
Oh
Oh (oh, oh)
Life is great without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address
In a torn up town, no postcode envy
But every song's like
Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't care
We're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like
Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
My friends and I, we've cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows
That we're fine with this, we didn't come from money
But every song's like
Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't care
We're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like
Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
Oh
Oh (oh, oh)
We're bigger than we ever dreamed
And I'm in love with being queen
Oh
Oh (oh, oh)
Life is great without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule)
Let me live that fantasy
Lyrics submitted by siliconyoda, edited by quazy_qual, Salador, ClanWarGuyIzu, ninawezzi, TahliaChambers, midnightzone, drueboo, KristenDG, nononsense, pardleo1, hi1323, dushyant1991, negin20, treasurefayee, jayaraj
Royals Lyrics as written by Joel Little Ella Marija La Yelich O'connor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Im kinda irritated over all the commentary here.
Why do almost everybody CUT OFF their interpretation at the second ref?
I wanna talk about THIS part right here:
"And we'll never be royals It don't run in our blood That kind of luxe just ain't for us We crave a different kind of buzz Let me be your ruler, you can call me Queen Bee And baby I'll rule (I'll rule I'll rule I'll rule) Let me live that fantasy "
I think we can all agree by now that the song starts by telling thats shes from humble quarters and consistently making references to the rap/pop-elite (wich she calls the "royals") and what they sing about and what they do, and how her own life will never be like theirs No, she has found a different kind of buzz. Thtas the EASY part.
Now comes this section wich is like the conclusion in the song: And we'll never be royals It don't run in our blood That kind of luxe just ain't for us WE CRAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUZZ
... saying that she (or they) will never be like them, its not in their blood. its just not for them, they've found something else to crave: (NOW, WHAT IS IT??)
Let me be your ruler, you can call me Queen Bee And BABY I'll rule (I'll rule I'll rule I'll rule) Let me live that fantasy "
... Well,. its a fantasy to rule, and shes talking to her "BABY" (this seems kinda important), let me live that fantasy. Doesnt this sound kinda sexual? At least it does to me.
If this last part is about ruling the world or making the top charts, then the whole song would be talking against itself. Shes just said thet all this is NOT for her, so why would she wanna live THAT fantasy. It just dont make sense that way.
Shes saying she and her friends has cracked the code and this is like the conclusion:
To be happy with counting your dollars at the train, to never be like the royals, to not care about "their love affairs", to not have worries ("Life is great without a care"), but to live out the fantasy of ruling her boyfriend (in bed?), he can call her Queen B. ("and I'm in love with beeing Queen") Cause this is more "her kinda buzz". Then it kinda makes sense.
This may very well be flawed, but at least Im trying to look at the part of the text everybodys so conveniently skipping, or at least not giving any weight.
But as long as nobodys going to give me another fitting idea to what she might rule, Im gonna stick with this one.
she wants to be on top in the music industry while being a real person not needing the frivolous life to go with it.... humbling, and very very smart... shes changing the standards... someone should have thought of this a long time ago.... weve been listening to glorified crap for too long.... I agree with her.....<br />
You absolutely nailed it. Everyone else is ignoring those exact lines: Queen Bee, baby I'll rule...
I am so glad someone else pointed this out! My boyfriend and I discussed how the "Fantasy" of being "Queen bee" or "Queen" is possibly her pushing against the oppression of women. Because at this point women ruling or being viewed as equals can still feel like a simple fantasy.
Great point! I'd like to add something ...<br /> <br /> When she says "Let me be your ruler, you can call me your queen bee" it sounds like she's asking to be accepted the she is. She doesn't have jet planes, cadillacs or diamonds. All she wants is to be accepted the way she is.<br />