"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.
You sent a photo out your window of Tokyo
Told me you were doing fine
You said the cherry blossoms were blooming
And that I was on your mind
But I couldn't make you out through the glitches
It's how it always seems to go
So we say our goodbyes over messenger
As the network overloads
When the network overloads
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
Back to me
Always fall asleep when you're waking
I count the hours on my hands
Doing the math to the time zone you're at
Is an unseen part of the plan
But if you'll be my bluebird returning
Then I'll be your evergreen
Standing tall on your horizon
Guiding you home to me
Guiding you home to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I wish that you could see
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I need you back with me
Back with me
You sent a photo out your window of Paris
Of what you wish that I could see
But someone's gotta be the lighthouse
And that someone's gotta be me
And I hope your absence makes us grow fonder
I hope we always feel the same
When our eyes meet past security,
We embrace in the baggage claim
When we kiss in the baggage claim
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I wish that you could see
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I need you back with me
Back with me
Told me you were doing fine
You said the cherry blossoms were blooming
And that I was on your mind
But I couldn't make you out through the glitches
It's how it always seems to go
So we say our goodbyes over messenger
As the network overloads
When the network overloads
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
Back to me
Always fall asleep when you're waking
I count the hours on my hands
Doing the math to the time zone you're at
Is an unseen part of the plan
But if you'll be my bluebird returning
Then I'll be your evergreen
Standing tall on your horizon
Guiding you home to me
Guiding you home to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I wish that you could see
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I need you back with me
Back with me
You sent a photo out your window of Paris
Of what you wish that I could see
But someone's gotta be the lighthouse
And that someone's gotta be me
And I hope your absence makes us grow fonder
I hope we always feel the same
When our eyes meet past security,
We embrace in the baggage claim
When we kiss in the baggage claim
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Off across the sea
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
Won't you wander back to me
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I wish that you could see
You're my wanderer, little wanderer
How I need you back with me
Back with me
Lyrics submitted by grsbrandao, edited by starphish
Little Wanderer Lyrics as written by Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Oh what a beautiful love song! This is probably written for his current gf because when she was on twitter she always said she was in different countries for her work and that sometimes they didn't see each other for over a month! But he's in love and wants to be the reason she keeps coming home :) sooo sweet.
His girlfriend is a tour manager for a bunch of other bands and is often gone for months at a time in different continents. It makes sense that it would be about her.
This is such a beautiful song! Clearly about a long distance relationship!
its a beautiful song really. in the first verse she tells him about her trip and he gets frustrated. hinting she travels a lot and he misses his "little wanderer" but then he comes back in the next verse to say that he is lonely at home, but knows it will all be okay as long as she returns to him.in the next verse he starts as he hopes this traveling won't hurt their relationship, but then, as if hes just seeing her for the first time then, he forgets all he said, and all that matters is for him to embrace her. he loves her. and he will never mind the wait as long as he will someday embrace her once again.