"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.
Mind is blown but her body’s still in shock
Can’t see nothing as she’s staring at the kitchen clock
Feel so bland in the eye of the storm; it’s a bedroom day
We should switch, we should pass ourselves around
Meet me at the corner; tear your dream-home down
It’s a goddamn shit-show out here now
Something to tell you about, someone told me about
I know I’m weak and this weekend you’ll find out
Yes, I sleep at the fucking whore’s house now
In a cinematic, cinematic fades to black
Every day is a rodeo, man
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
No one’s gonna change, no one’s changing for you
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
Sittin’ there speaking Greek to a college blog
Every sentence is the same, it’s just talk, talk, talk
I am one, I admit it, of a million who has it out for these soapbox idiots
Click-clack of your high heels - you’re awake
Downstairs on a tic-tac stripper’s break
Every dancer’s trying to sync to the beat
Every motherfucker in this place tells me the same shit
This whole world’s gotta buy you a drink, man
Gotta take you to the edge and watch you throw it up
Every morning I could give a damn what you did last night
Just tell me how far to kick this can
No one’s gonna change, no one ever does
No one’s gonna change, no one is changing for you
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
But I don’t wanna feel so jaded
Getting on a plane to work things out
When I’m alone, you're all I think about
But I’m never alone very long
They say you gotta love yourself first, that’s a trip
I’ve been hating myself since I was a little kid
I know it’s sad that game’s rained out, and the bleachers emptied out
And the turnstiles spin
All the good ones in the world, they’ve been dropping dead
Everybody's got a bullet flying at their head
I seen it coming, man
I seen it coming, man
I seen it coming, no
No one ever changes, hey, that’s the truth
No one’s gonna change, no, baby, not for you!
No one ever changes, and that’s the truth
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
Can’t see nothing as she’s staring at the kitchen clock
Feel so bland in the eye of the storm; it’s a bedroom day
We should switch, we should pass ourselves around
Meet me at the corner; tear your dream-home down
It’s a goddamn shit-show out here now
Something to tell you about, someone told me about
I know I’m weak and this weekend you’ll find out
Yes, I sleep at the fucking whore’s house now
In a cinematic, cinematic fades to black
Every day is a rodeo, man
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
No one’s gonna change, no one’s changing for you
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
Sittin’ there speaking Greek to a college blog
Every sentence is the same, it’s just talk, talk, talk
I am one, I admit it, of a million who has it out for these soapbox idiots
Click-clack of your high heels - you’re awake
Downstairs on a tic-tac stripper’s break
Every dancer’s trying to sync to the beat
Every motherfucker in this place tells me the same shit
This whole world’s gotta buy you a drink, man
Gotta take you to the edge and watch you throw it up
Every morning I could give a damn what you did last night
Just tell me how far to kick this can
No one’s gonna change, no one ever does
No one’s gonna change, no one is changing for you
No one’s gonna change, nobody ever does
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
But I don’t wanna feel so jaded
Getting on a plane to work things out
When I’m alone, you're all I think about
But I’m never alone very long
They say you gotta love yourself first, that’s a trip
I’ve been hating myself since I was a little kid
I know it’s sad that game’s rained out, and the bleachers emptied out
And the turnstiles spin
All the good ones in the world, they’ve been dropping dead
Everybody's got a bullet flying at their head
I seen it coming, man
I seen it coming, man
I seen it coming, no
No one ever changes, hey, that’s the truth
No one’s gonna change, no, baby, not for you!
No one ever changes, and that’s the truth
And I’m never gonna do what you want me to
Lyrics submitted by Genja007
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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/
@MaxConorBemisOberst420 I don't think that the word "happy" will ever be the right word to describe him or his music. Waist of paint, if winter ends, no lies just love, I won't ever be happy again, breezy, I could go on forever with examples of his music from the mid 90s up until now. My point was so many bands I listen to have changed so much over the years. I'm glad he hasn't and he stays true to who he has always been. He will always be the best artist, singer, song writer, and poet to ME. And in MY opinion he will ALWAYS be AMAZING!! I know opinions are like assholes and vocalizing your opinion can make you seem like an asshole sometimes. This was in Conor's defense, not mine. I can say whatever the f*** i want, after all it's my opinion if I thought the song was amazing.