"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 don't know why
I just feel I'm better off
Staying in the same room I was born in
I look outside
And see a whole world better off
Without me in it trying to transform it
You are out of my mind, ooh
You aren't seeing my side, ooh
You waste all this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Yeah
Listen, I know
This one's a contradiction because of how happy it sounds
But the lyrics are so down
It's okay though
Because it represents, wait, better yet it is
Who I feel I am right now
You are out of my mind, ooh
You aren't seeing my side, ooh
You waste all of this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
Oh, don't you test me, no
Just because I play the piano
Doesn't mean not
I'm not willing to take you down
I'm sorry
I'm, I'm out of my mind, ooh
I'm, I'm not seeing things right, ooh
I waste all this time trying to run from you
But I'm, I'm out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
Yeah, oh!
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
Yeah, oh!
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
You are out of my mind
You aren't seeing my side
You waste all of this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (yeah)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah (yeah, woah)
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (yeah, no no, no, yeah)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah (yeah)
Buh buh bah, not today (not today)
Bah bah bah bah bah (not today)
Bah bah bah bah bah (not today, no today)
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (not today, no no no, no!)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
I just feel I'm better off
Staying in the same room I was born in
I look outside
And see a whole world better off
Without me in it trying to transform it
You are out of my mind, ooh
You aren't seeing my side, ooh
You waste all this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Yeah
Listen, I know
This one's a contradiction because of how happy it sounds
But the lyrics are so down
It's okay though
Because it represents, wait, better yet it is
Who I feel I am right now
You are out of my mind, ooh
You aren't seeing my side, ooh
You waste all of this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
Oh, don't you test me, no
Just because I play the piano
Doesn't mean not
I'm not willing to take you down
I'm sorry
I'm, I'm out of my mind, ooh
I'm, I'm not seeing things right, ooh
I waste all this time trying to run from you
But I'm, I'm out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
Yeah, oh!
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
Yeah, oh!
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
You are out of my mind
You aren't seeing my side
You waste all of this time trying to get to me
But you are out of my mind
Heard you say
Not today
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a sound
Heard your voice
There's no choice
Tore the curtains down
Windows open, now make a noise
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (yeah)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah (yeah, woah)
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (yeah, no no, no, yeah)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah (yeah)
Buh buh bah, not today (not today)
Bah bah bah bah bah (not today)
Bah bah bah bah bah (not today, no today)
Buh buh bah, buh buh bah (not today, no no no, no!)
Bah bah bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah bah
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Lyrics submitted by stillstreet, edited by thisistooshort
Not Today Lyrics as written by Tyler Joseph
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me the whole song I think he's referring to depression. He's explaining his suicidal irrational and feelings of worthlessness. I like the idea of "being in the same room I was born in" referring to being in a hospital (I.e a psych ward- suicide attempt). The next verse i think is him trying to say that he's over this depression, and it's finally starting to leave. When he references "you" I kinda see it as him talking to his depression (you are out of my mind)