"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 know you were needing more of me than I gave
When we heard that your cousin had crashed and passed away
I hate it when I talk without thinking
I will do what you are needing me to do
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
When your best friend got married I was off and gone
You said it wasn't a problem, that there was nothing wrong
With putting my work, my art, and my songs
Before spending time at the wedding
As I listened over the phone-line, you talked and you sounded so sad
Alone in a room full of strangers, some dude saying I treat you bad
Who is this guy and what does he know?
Apparently more than I do
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
When you were born I promised myself I'd always be there for you
To help you feel safe and never alone, no matter what life put you through
Time passed by, I lost my way, and didn't find it for years
A strong young woman now stands in her place
The child has disappeared
Now that I'm home, do you still want me here?
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
I wanna be good to you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
And if I come home, will you still want me to?
When we heard that your cousin had crashed and passed away
I hate it when I talk without thinking
I will do what you are needing me to do
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
When your best friend got married I was off and gone
You said it wasn't a problem, that there was nothing wrong
With putting my work, my art, and my songs
Before spending time at the wedding
As I listened over the phone-line, you talked and you sounded so sad
Alone in a room full of strangers, some dude saying I treat you bad
Who is this guy and what does he know?
Apparently more than I do
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
When you were born I promised myself I'd always be there for you
To help you feel safe and never alone, no matter what life put you through
Time passed by, I lost my way, and didn't find it for years
A strong young woman now stands in her place
The child has disappeared
Now that I'm home, do you still want me here?
I wanna be good to you
I wanna be there for you
I wanna be good to you
And when I come home, will you still want me to?
And if I come home, will you still want me to?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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/
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I really like this song because it captures the simplicity of how a relationship can veer off course. I am thrown off, though, by the change in voice/meaning with the "when you were born" stanza. Is it the singer's future self reflecting on a dissolved relationship and now he's talking to their daughter? Is he repeating the same mistakes from his marriage/relationship? Did he stay away that long to watch a child grow up and it took years and years to finally "come home?" So sad.
This is a personal song, through and through. I believe this is Scott addressing his struggles with being a good husband in the wake of his brother's failed marriage (if you notice Seth doesn't sing at all on this song) which I think could easily strike home when you can't avoid being away from your family. The heart breaking part of the song is Bob's singing part, in light of his daughter's struggle with brain cancer, it's just seeping with such emotion and poignancy.