"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.
Whoa
Whoa
Yeah, yeah
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Ain't no tellin'
Suitcase, I been livin' out a suitcase
Still drinkin' Henny, if it's done, I'll take the D'usse
Oops, ayy, fuck it, all you niggas two-faced
Got the club goin' up on a Tuesday
True say, I been goin' hard, but then again
They think I'm soft, think I'm innocent
I'm just lookin' in the mirror like I'm really him
Man, I'm really him, you just fillin' in
Man, I got a blunt, can I get a light?
Yeah, I took the summer off to get it right
Yeah, I gave these boys a shot and they fuckin' failed
Niggas like "you took the summer off? We couldn't tell"
Dawg, just bought a island, gotta sail to it
You pick the casket, I'll put the nail through it
I ain't gotta do it, but fuck it somebody gotta do it
Hate if someone else did it, fuck, I may as well do it, damn
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Ain't no tellin'
Yeah okay, I had to switch the flow up on you niggas
The shit was gettin' too predictable, yeah
The new shit is on steroids, I would never pass a physical, yeah
I got it rollin' in all kinda ways, lump sum and residual, yeah
I mean we hear about the money you been gettin' we just never seen a visual
It's our year (our year), our year
I mean besides Ricky Ross, Aubrey the biggest boss here
What's the word these days?
Bunch of niggas chasing after all these women they don't even know
Bunch of out of season women
Fuckin' off-season niggas to get last season wardrobe
All the rappers that you vouch for
Need to get out of the house more, they washed up
And even if the team was religious with it
I can't really see another squad tryna' cross us, naw
Ovo, Unruly
One shot to make it inna life
From the six to the fucking 876
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Man, there ain't no tellin'
Yeah
Look
I gotta keep watchin' for oppers
'Cause anything's possible, yeah
It's no code or ethics out here
Anyone will take shots at you, yeah
Niggas think they can come take what I got, let's be logical, yeah
V-Live, I order that Alfredo pasta
Then eat in the kitchen like I'm in the mafia
Houston, they get me though
European, my vehicle
How much it hit me fo'? Ain't no tellin', yeah
What am I willin' to give her
To get what I want tonight? Ain't no tellin'
Please do not speak to me like I'm that Drake from four years ago
I'm at a higher place
Thinkin' they lions and tigers and bears, I go huntin'
Put heads on my fireplace, oh my
Take time
Ain't no tellin' (yeah)
Oh my
Ain't no tellin'
Whoa
Yeah, yeah
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Ain't no tellin'
Suitcase, I been livin' out a suitcase
Still drinkin' Henny, if it's done, I'll take the D'usse
Oops, ayy, fuck it, all you niggas two-faced
Got the club goin' up on a Tuesday
True say, I been goin' hard, but then again
They think I'm soft, think I'm innocent
I'm just lookin' in the mirror like I'm really him
Man, I'm really him, you just fillin' in
Man, I got a blunt, can I get a light?
Yeah, I took the summer off to get it right
Yeah, I gave these boys a shot and they fuckin' failed
Niggas like "you took the summer off? We couldn't tell"
Dawg, just bought a island, gotta sail to it
You pick the casket, I'll put the nail through it
I ain't gotta do it, but fuck it somebody gotta do it
Hate if someone else did it, fuck, I may as well do it, damn
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Ain't no tellin'
Yeah okay, I had to switch the flow up on you niggas
The shit was gettin' too predictable, yeah
The new shit is on steroids, I would never pass a physical, yeah
I got it rollin' in all kinda ways, lump sum and residual, yeah
I mean we hear about the money you been gettin' we just never seen a visual
It's our year (our year), our year
I mean besides Ricky Ross, Aubrey the biggest boss here
What's the word these days?
Bunch of niggas chasing after all these women they don't even know
Bunch of out of season women
Fuckin' off-season niggas to get last season wardrobe
All the rappers that you vouch for
Need to get out of the house more, they washed up
And even if the team was religious with it
I can't really see another squad tryna' cross us, naw
Ovo, Unruly
One shot to make it inna life
From the six to the fucking 876
Envelopes comin' in the mail, let her open 'em
Hopin' for a check again, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, she invite me to the telly, keep the blade with me
When I go to check a bitch, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, police comin' 'round lookin' for some help
On a case they gotta solve, we never help 'em
Yeah, I stay up late at night, thinkin' 'bout my life
Want a lot, will I get it all? Ain't no tellin'
Ain't no tellin', yeah, ain't no tellin'
Yeah, no tellin'
Man, there ain't no tellin'
Yeah
Look
I gotta keep watchin' for oppers
'Cause anything's possible, yeah
It's no code or ethics out here
Anyone will take shots at you, yeah
Niggas think they can come take what I got, let's be logical, yeah
V-Live, I order that Alfredo pasta
Then eat in the kitchen like I'm in the mafia
Houston, they get me though
European, my vehicle
How much it hit me fo'? Ain't no tellin', yeah
What am I willin' to give her
To get what I want tonight? Ain't no tellin'
Please do not speak to me like I'm that Drake from four years ago
I'm at a higher place
Thinkin' they lions and tigers and bears, I go huntin'
Put heads on my fireplace, oh my
Take time
Ain't no tellin' (yeah)
Oh my
Ain't no tellin'
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
No Tellin' Lyrics as written by Matthew Samuels Adam Feeney
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.