"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.
Give me the flammable light
I'm cold as a match, ready to strike
So, here I go
Here lies a city on fire
Singing along
The arsonist choir
Now, here I go
It's started with a spark
And burn into the dark
Now, here I go
There is a river I've found
Into the wild
Under the ground
So, here I go
A button on a string
And I heard everything
Now, here I go
Oh, sweet ignition be my fuse
You have no choice you have to choose
Bid farewell to yesterday
Say goodbye I'm on my way
But in the end we all
Come from what's come before
So, here I go
Oh, sweet ignition be my fuse
You have no choice you have to choose
Bid farewell to yesterday
Say goodbye I'm on my way
I threw it all away because
I had to be what never was
Been so hungry I could lie
Took my word, I took your wine
And held you in my bloody hands
These rattled bones and rubber bands
Washed them in the muddy water
Looking for a dime and found a quarter
But you can't make me change my name
They'll never make me change my name
Pay no mind now ain't that's something
Fuck it all I came from nothing
I'm something from nothing
You are my fuse
I'm something from nothing
You are my fuse
It goes oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
It goes oh, oh, oh
All rise
No you can't make me change my name
You'll never make me change my name
Pay no mind no wait that's something
Fuck it all I came from nothing
I'm something
From nothing
I'm something
From nothing
I'm cold as a match, ready to strike
So, here I go
Here lies a city on fire
Singing along
The arsonist choir
Now, here I go
It's started with a spark
And burn into the dark
Now, here I go
There is a river I've found
Into the wild
Under the ground
So, here I go
A button on a string
And I heard everything
Now, here I go
Oh, sweet ignition be my fuse
You have no choice you have to choose
Bid farewell to yesterday
Say goodbye I'm on my way
But in the end we all
Come from what's come before
So, here I go
Oh, sweet ignition be my fuse
You have no choice you have to choose
Bid farewell to yesterday
Say goodbye I'm on my way
I threw it all away because
I had to be what never was
Been so hungry I could lie
Took my word, I took your wine
And held you in my bloody hands
These rattled bones and rubber bands
Washed them in the muddy water
Looking for a dime and found a quarter
But you can't make me change my name
They'll never make me change my name
Pay no mind now ain't that's something
Fuck it all I came from nothing
I'm something from nothing
You are my fuse
I'm something from nothing
You are my fuse
It goes oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
It goes oh, oh, oh
All rise
No you can't make me change my name
You'll never make me change my name
Pay no mind no wait that's something
Fuck it all I came from nothing
I'm something
From nothing
I'm something
From nothing
Lyrics submitted by Paul123456, edited by Crazyguy1990, Giuegi, intothegrinder
Something From Nothing Lyrics as written by David Grohl Chris Shiflett
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
"Give me the flammable light I'm cold as a match, ready to strike So here I go
Here lies a city on fire Singing along The arsonist choir Now here I go
It's started with a spark And burn into the dark Now here I go"
Here they're talking about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871