"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.
[Verse 1: MC Paul Barman]
No justice, no peace
The Justice of the Peace is a bad guy
The priest is a beast, and I don't know a rabbi
Bachelor parties are corny
If you're horny for whores now where will you be when you're forty
"Ooh, who's gonna catcha the bouquet?"
You can't ban gay marriage, marriage is gay
Natural borders be mountains and rivers
Science is orderly, way off the chaos of a moral authority
The oral majority is legions of orcs teasin' the dorks
The whole concept of cool is like Leaving New York
The key's in the door
White trash is a spork, or a cheap way of dividing the poor, like divorce
Divorce: That's when you legally separate
Of course, repeat defeat with second mate
You can leave a place, turn your back, forfeit
But if you don't check your pace that distance is an orbit
Since you didn't solve now you revolve
It's the call of the childhood out in the wild wood
An impermanent stay only did mild good
"Why would you suggest my girl be a street whore?"
You tried your best, but where have I heard this before?
Oh, you both said, it because you're the same
I came to reclaim the name from the laymen bartender
So before I tie a knot on a car fender, remember
You fought for the couch and every coin it had pouched
And talked more trowsh than Oscar the Grouch
I'm speaking to you
Put down your Week in Review
For once you'll listen
You sleep in a shoe
So secluded, you wait for a dove peep in a coo
Taught to drop Pops like he's hot, not a lot we can do
"What? Me wordy?"
I'm suddenly thirty
And acting fifteen is starting to hurt me
Divorce is due course if you look for love from outside sources or the sequel's weak-willed and turns cheek like Ezequiel
(SLAP!)
Tomorrow sneaks up --
I could die a lot sooner --
Plus wifey's ovaries are getting drier than humor
Forget the white dress, I want you wearing plants
And I'll wear skins from animals I killed with my hands
A woman and a man with a plan to stay strong
A grown-hop song you can rock allllll dddaaayyy llooooooonnngggg!!!!!
[Verse 2: MC Paul Barman]
A husband and wife team can lose; still choose to go for ice cream
We might seem poor but life free of war or divorce; a pipe dream
Light streams behind Venetian blinds and stripes behind, even in the evening time
(Teniley Neeshakar) released the bronze cuff around
Me is we upside-down
The beat be raw, I love this sound
No justice, no peace
The Justice of the Peace is a bad guy
The priest is a beast, and I don't know a rabbi
Bachelor parties are corny
If you're horny for whores now where will you be when you're forty
"Ooh, who's gonna catcha the bouquet?"
You can't ban gay marriage, marriage is gay
Natural borders be mountains and rivers
Science is orderly, way off the chaos of a moral authority
The oral majority is legions of orcs teasin' the dorks
The whole concept of cool is like Leaving New York
The key's in the door
White trash is a spork, or a cheap way of dividing the poor, like divorce
Divorce: That's when you legally separate
Of course, repeat defeat with second mate
You can leave a place, turn your back, forfeit
But if you don't check your pace that distance is an orbit
Since you didn't solve now you revolve
It's the call of the childhood out in the wild wood
An impermanent stay only did mild good
"Why would you suggest my girl be a street whore?"
You tried your best, but where have I heard this before?
Oh, you both said, it because you're the same
I came to reclaim the name from the laymen bartender
So before I tie a knot on a car fender, remember
You fought for the couch and every coin it had pouched
And talked more trowsh than Oscar the Grouch
I'm speaking to you
Put down your Week in Review
For once you'll listen
You sleep in a shoe
So secluded, you wait for a dove peep in a coo
Taught to drop Pops like he's hot, not a lot we can do
"What? Me wordy?"
I'm suddenly thirty
And acting fifteen is starting to hurt me
Divorce is due course if you look for love from outside sources or the sequel's weak-willed and turns cheek like Ezequiel
(SLAP!)
Tomorrow sneaks up --
I could die a lot sooner --
Plus wifey's ovaries are getting drier than humor
Forget the white dress, I want you wearing plants
And I'll wear skins from animals I killed with my hands
A woman and a man with a plan to stay strong
A grown-hop song you can rock allllll dddaaayyy llooooooonnngggg!!!!!
[Verse 2: MC Paul Barman]
A husband and wife team can lose; still choose to go for ice cream
We might seem poor but life free of war or divorce; a pipe dream
Light streams behind Venetian blinds and stripes behind, even in the evening time
(Teniley Neeshakar) released the bronze cuff around
Me is we upside-down
The beat be raw, I love this sound
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
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.
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/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.