"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.
(hook)
sometimes my pants wish they were tight as i was,
sometimes my vans sick kinda like a virus,
sometimes my long socks get a little dirty,
but i throw em in the washer and i keep it 30/30
doin what i do and i always stay real,
three zero, three zero.
(verse 1)
lemme address it,
the question,
that i know you’ll be stressin,
what in the hell is 30/30?
jesse how can i get it?
simple as lookin fresher then the freshest of freshman,
you just gotta look good whether you got it or get em,
personally, i prefer a pair of khaki’s or denim,
cuffed up like ill wills chicks were when you met em,
tall white songs, geeked up from my feet up,
pants lookin tighter than a damn ballerina,
i look like a nerd, and its not for a reason,
but i still get ladies who look likr hillary duff,
oh sweet jesus!
cross on my neck,
i wear plain white t’s dont need lacoste on my chest,
these pants were 40 bucks dont pay the cost for the rest,
and as far as the beanie i rock it cause i copped it from neff,
dollars make sense so i would say i was money wise
and i keep it 30/30 never fuck with the 29’s
no poligimist but i could have plenty wives,
all makin me eggs while i get dressed homie sunny side.
ironing my white t’s makin sure the wrinkles out,
this is the mixtape so don’t ask me when the singles out,
don’t worry i’ll put a single out.
i would rather been singled out than fitting in,
fingers pointed at me like “look at that fuckin idiot!”
his jeans too short,
his dreams too impractical,
i say being tatted up and white as fuck is tactical,
plus my raps magical,
actually their actual,
expressions of myself in words lowercase and capitals,
my ryhme physique,
is buffer than your biceps,
hate me cause i am a rapper, go ahead and try it.
i’ve been chewed up more than trident,
tell me to shut up but i still wont silence,
hock lugees on these records pal jj sinus,
(hook)
sometimes my pants wish they were tight as i was,
sometimes my vans sick kinda like a virus,
sometimes my long socks get a little dirty,
but i throw em in the washer and i keep it 30/30
(verse 2 – beef)
yeah
i'm not even gonna introduce myself
as of late i seem to have a change of heart
and notice i don't seem to mind the time we stay apart
snakes come out the grass and tend to show their true colors
so now i focus on myself, maybe a few others
and those who stay close aren't too hard to see
cuz they all seem to wear the same logo as me
representin for much, much more than my hometown
miles away but i just wish i was home now
grown now, old friends gettin old now
and i could really care less bout records sold now
all my idols 30 with the life they gotta live
take care of their kids, white house and the picket fence
you want it real? this is the 3D image
mama said she'll manage, but sorry i gotta spit it
that's the problem with a kid with no limits
just charge it to the card, keep it zoomin til i'm finished
if you could see past the way fans you'd understand
movin like chess, so everything has got a plan
every kid from my city got a label
and then i call their bluff, bringin nothin to the table
actions speak louder than words, oh it's true
what i'd do if i was you is probably so miniscule
cuz i'm me, and i'm beef
i'm hometown hero, i'm t.i.c.
pry tees and nikes set me apart from what you're doin
i'm oceans spewin through the videos you're viewing
just started, no plans to ever stop now
pressure builds down he's got a hand full of rocks now
so i ask you: never leave me behind
because i'm slowly but surely steady losing my mind
bitch hit me on the text but i'm tired of the flirtin
whatever you're doin is clearly never workin
my head in the clouds, my mind is so dirty
doin what i do, i just keep it from 30/30
i don't know about you
but i'm wakin up every morning with perfect vision
sometimes my pants wish they were tight as i was,
sometimes my vans sick kinda like a virus,
sometimes my long socks get a little dirty,
but i throw em in the washer and i keep it 30/30
doin what i do and i always stay real,
three zero, three zero.
(verse 1)
lemme address it,
the question,
that i know you’ll be stressin,
what in the hell is 30/30?
jesse how can i get it?
simple as lookin fresher then the freshest of freshman,
you just gotta look good whether you got it or get em,
personally, i prefer a pair of khaki’s or denim,
cuffed up like ill wills chicks were when you met em,
tall white songs, geeked up from my feet up,
pants lookin tighter than a damn ballerina,
i look like a nerd, and its not for a reason,
but i still get ladies who look likr hillary duff,
oh sweet jesus!
cross on my neck,
i wear plain white t’s dont need lacoste on my chest,
these pants were 40 bucks dont pay the cost for the rest,
and as far as the beanie i rock it cause i copped it from neff,
dollars make sense so i would say i was money wise
and i keep it 30/30 never fuck with the 29’s
no poligimist but i could have plenty wives,
all makin me eggs while i get dressed homie sunny side.
ironing my white t’s makin sure the wrinkles out,
this is the mixtape so don’t ask me when the singles out,
don’t worry i’ll put a single out.
i would rather been singled out than fitting in,
fingers pointed at me like “look at that fuckin idiot!”
his jeans too short,
his dreams too impractical,
i say being tatted up and white as fuck is tactical,
plus my raps magical,
actually their actual,
expressions of myself in words lowercase and capitals,
my ryhme physique,
is buffer than your biceps,
hate me cause i am a rapper, go ahead and try it.
i’ve been chewed up more than trident,
tell me to shut up but i still wont silence,
hock lugees on these records pal jj sinus,
(hook)
sometimes my pants wish they were tight as i was,
sometimes my vans sick kinda like a virus,
sometimes my long socks get a little dirty,
but i throw em in the washer and i keep it 30/30
(verse 2 – beef)
yeah
i'm not even gonna introduce myself
as of late i seem to have a change of heart
and notice i don't seem to mind the time we stay apart
snakes come out the grass and tend to show their true colors
so now i focus on myself, maybe a few others
and those who stay close aren't too hard to see
cuz they all seem to wear the same logo as me
representin for much, much more than my hometown
miles away but i just wish i was home now
grown now, old friends gettin old now
and i could really care less bout records sold now
all my idols 30 with the life they gotta live
take care of their kids, white house and the picket fence
you want it real? this is the 3D image
mama said she'll manage, but sorry i gotta spit it
that's the problem with a kid with no limits
just charge it to the card, keep it zoomin til i'm finished
if you could see past the way fans you'd understand
movin like chess, so everything has got a plan
every kid from my city got a label
and then i call their bluff, bringin nothin to the table
actions speak louder than words, oh it's true
what i'd do if i was you is probably so miniscule
cuz i'm me, and i'm beef
i'm hometown hero, i'm t.i.c.
pry tees and nikes set me apart from what you're doin
i'm oceans spewin through the videos you're viewing
just started, no plans to ever stop now
pressure builds down he's got a hand full of rocks now
so i ask you: never leave me behind
because i'm slowly but surely steady losing my mind
bitch hit me on the text but i'm tired of the flirtin
whatever you're doin is clearly never workin
my head in the clouds, my mind is so dirty
doin what i do, i just keep it from 30/30
i don't know about you
but i'm wakin up every morning with perfect vision
Lyrics submitted by logicandlove
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
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
i did my best on the last verse but a few words i'm definitely not sure about. feel free to correct!