"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.
There's a party and we're all going
And we're all growing up
Somebody's driving and he will be drinking
And no one's going back
'Cause we've tried hungry and we've tried full and
Nothing seems enough
So tonight, tonight
The boys are gonna go for
More, more, more
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
Smell that, it's wet grass, and smoke in my hair
I think I've had enough
But he wants a finale and I came prepared
And we're not going back
And I've tried sharing and I've tried caring
And I've tried putting out
But the boys, boys, boys keep coming on for
More, more, more
And change change change is gonna come, but
When, when, when?
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
And we're all growing up
Somebody's driving and he will be drinking
And no one's going back
'Cause we've tried hungry and we've tried full and
Nothing seems enough
So tonight, tonight
The boys are gonna go for
More, more, more
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
Smell that, it's wet grass, and smoke in my hair
I think I've had enough
But he wants a finale and I came prepared
And we're not going back
And I've tried sharing and I've tried caring
And I've tried putting out
But the boys, boys, boys keep coming on for
More, more, more
And change change change is gonna come, but
When, when, when?
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
And I want a love that falls as fast
As a body from the balcony, and
I want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be
Lyrics submitted by lisasonoda
Townie Lyrics as written by Mitsuki Laycock
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.