"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 are those that I took everything
And there are those that I gave everything I had
We don't wanna die in vain
We don't wanna live in chains
Screaming till the end of days
For the madness of this love
Does anybody know what they want
Has everybody gone insane
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
All the pretty things they sell us out
So bury me deep in the hole that I bought
Suck me off and make me real
Plug me in and do what you feel
A metaphor for letting go
To show yourself there's something more
Does anybody know what they want
Has everybody got what they deserve
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
There's nothing more
As it washes over me
In silent grace trajectory
Am I a prisoner because I choose to be?
Does anybody know what they want
When everything is made to break
Is anybody really there
When all the world is mine to take
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
Am I a prisoner cuz I choose to be?
Raise you up to where you belong
Nobody ever stays around too long to get it right
When all the world is mine to take
And everything is made to break
And there are those that I gave everything I had
We don't wanna die in vain
We don't wanna live in chains
Screaming till the end of days
For the madness of this love
Does anybody know what they want
Has everybody gone insane
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
All the pretty things they sell us out
So bury me deep in the hole that I bought
Suck me off and make me real
Plug me in and do what you feel
A metaphor for letting go
To show yourself there's something more
Does anybody know what they want
Has everybody got what they deserve
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
There's nothing more
As it washes over me
In silent grace trajectory
Am I a prisoner because I choose to be?
Does anybody know what they want
When everything is made to break
Is anybody really there
When all the world is mine to take
When all the lonely places we haunt
Echo everything we want
We're just borrowing what we can't own
So show yourself
Am I a prisoner cuz I choose to be?
Raise you up to where you belong
Nobody ever stays around too long to get it right
When all the world is mine to take
And everything is made to break
Lyrics submitted by Ihsus
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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
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.
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/
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.