"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'm sipping pink, Lucozade
We're blazing on that new found haze
I'm seeing in the blacks and grays, I'm
Hoping that the basket sways
Left to right
Sit and talk shit all night
Does that make it right for so
Maybe, or am I just seeing shit?
Seeing the pain side in this house of fear
You don't even wanna know about the things I hear
Quick fix
Headlines shine bright, you're the fuckin' deal
I'm just wishing its ambition that got
You your position
You'll be fishing for far too long
You're the bad guy in this movie
And I ain't wrong, I don't breathe the pollution
And the only solution
Is making shit confusing
And it ain't about whose winning or losing
But the path that you're choosing
Time heals pain and promotes self-soothing
When the scares are gone you can't see bruising
Wanna take days watching chains and gold rings
I'm getting caught up in the feelings that they bring
A lack of sanity, losing touch with reality
Smoking too much, it's starting to fog up my clarity
Traveling in the day but you're still looking far to me
Bulls eye you the dot to me
Emotions splattered seeing padding
Can't even begin to spot 'em
I'm sad about shit that never happened
No lies in my eyes
Nothing but truth will lay in my mouth
I'm tryna fuckin scream but the words won't come out
Ooh ah
Tryna fuckin' scream but the words won't come out
She's older, I told her
We ain't meant to be
It takes two not three, but I'm here any way
I hope he's leaving soon
Started not to see the elephant in this room
Disguises your perfume
But the smell of it consumes, it takes all my mind
You can search the world but you will never find
I see everything you've done to me
Be there, you run to me
I don't need to pace, I don't need the stamina
If this shit was it, girl, I probably would be runnin' from ya
Kept running
Outwit, 'cause you gunnin'
That outfit 'cause you're stunnin'
Begging 'cause you've choosen me
Got me feeling some type of way I can't explain
The fuck is going on?
I think I got it wrong
When I told you
I was over you or were you under me?
We're blazing on that new found haze
I'm seeing in the blacks and grays, I'm
Hoping that the basket sways
Left to right
Sit and talk shit all night
Does that make it right for so
Maybe, or am I just seeing shit?
Seeing the pain side in this house of fear
You don't even wanna know about the things I hear
Quick fix
Headlines shine bright, you're the fuckin' deal
I'm just wishing its ambition that got
You your position
You'll be fishing for far too long
You're the bad guy in this movie
And I ain't wrong, I don't breathe the pollution
And the only solution
Is making shit confusing
And it ain't about whose winning or losing
But the path that you're choosing
Time heals pain and promotes self-soothing
When the scares are gone you can't see bruising
Wanna take days watching chains and gold rings
I'm getting caught up in the feelings that they bring
A lack of sanity, losing touch with reality
Smoking too much, it's starting to fog up my clarity
Traveling in the day but you're still looking far to me
Bulls eye you the dot to me
Emotions splattered seeing padding
Can't even begin to spot 'em
I'm sad about shit that never happened
No lies in my eyes
Nothing but truth will lay in my mouth
I'm tryna fuckin scream but the words won't come out
Ooh ah
Tryna fuckin' scream but the words won't come out
She's older, I told her
We ain't meant to be
It takes two not three, but I'm here any way
I hope he's leaving soon
Started not to see the elephant in this room
Disguises your perfume
But the smell of it consumes, it takes all my mind
You can search the world but you will never find
I see everything you've done to me
Be there, you run to me
I don't need to pace, I don't need the stamina
If this shit was it, girl, I probably would be runnin' from ya
Kept running
Outwit, 'cause you gunnin'
That outfit 'cause you're stunnin'
Begging 'cause you've choosen me
Got me feeling some type of way I can't explain
The fuck is going on?
I think I got it wrong
When I told you
I was over you or were you under me?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.