"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 think I'm gonna lose my mind
Somethin' deep inside me, I can't give up
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
I roll and I roll 'til I'm out of luck
Yeah, I roll and I roll 'til I'm out of luck
I'm feelin' somethin' deep inside
Hotter than a jet stream burnin' up
I got a feelin' deep inside
It's takin', it's takin' all I've got
Yeah, it's takin', it's takin' all I got
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
Maybe you are fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
I think I'm gonna win this time
Ridin' on the wind and I won't give up
I think I'm gonna win this time
I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck
Yeah, I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
You must be fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
Maybe you are fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
Somethin' deep inside me, I can't give up
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
I roll and I roll 'til I'm out of luck
Yeah, I roll and I roll 'til I'm out of luck
I'm feelin' somethin' deep inside
Hotter than a jet stream burnin' up
I got a feelin' deep inside
It's takin', it's takin' all I've got
Yeah, it's takin', it's takin' all I got
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
Maybe you are fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
I think I'm gonna win this time
Ridin' on the wind and I won't give up
I think I'm gonna win this time
I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck
Yeah, I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
You must be fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
'Cause nobody knows you, baby, the way I do
And nobody loves you, baby, the way I do
It's been so long, it's been so long
Maybe you are fireproof
'Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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.
WARNING: if you are squeamish skip this.
OK, I NEED to change the meaning of this song in my head. Just after this song was released I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am very lucky. It was caught at stage 1 so I should only require a quick surgery, 6 weeks of radiation and medicine for 5 to 10 years. It is best if I don't explain the interpretation of the song that is currently stuck in my head, please just allow me a few tweaks to the lyrics. It is important to me to interpret the song as being about the drive to radiation.
I think I'm gonna lose my mind Something deep inside me, I can't give up I think I'm gonna lose my mind I roll and I roll cause I'm out of luck Yeah, I roll and I roll cause I'm out of luck << Six weeks of driving to the hospital an hour away and, yeah, that's gonna make lose my mind. >>
I'm feeling something deep inside Hotter than a Jet stream burning up I got a feeling deep inside It's taking, it's taking all I've got Yeah it's taking, it's taking all I've got <<This is a drive to radiation so this should be self explanatory>>
'Cause nobody knows you baby, the way I do And nobody loves you baby, the way I do It's been so long, it's been so long Baby, I am fireproof 'Cause nobody saves me baby, the way you do << After six weeks nobody is going to know that route like I do >>
I think I'm gonna win this time Riding on the wind and I won't give up I think I'm gonna win this time I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck Yeah, I roll and I roll 'til I change my luck << Roll and roll along in my automobile :) how fun is that (not) >>
'Cause nobody knows you baby, the way I do And nobody loves you baby, the way I do It's been so long, it's been so long I must be fireproof 'Cause nobody saves me baby, the way you do
'Cause nobody knows you baby, the way I do And nobody loves you baby, the way I do It's been so long, it's been so long Baby, I am fireproof 'Cause nobody saves me baby, the way you do << That's what I am focused on.. nobody saves me baby, the way you do >>
Drat, my note on the second verse didn't paste in properly. That's OK. My point was that given this interpretation, the meaning of the second verse should be obvious :)
Obviously, this is about a long-term relationship. This is saying that although they have been through a lot, they always make it through the rough patches. It is a complete metaphor saying that he will never give up on the relationship, even if the chances of staying together become slim.
It's the first song off their fourth album called, "Four".
Four is the fourth studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It released through Columbia Records and Syco Music on 17 November 2014.