"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 laughin on a rooftop, tears in my eyes
another rebirth, I'm born again with every sunrise
I see the colors start their glowin, roosters start the crowin
The grasses grow so the mowers mow
and the goin's on so the goers get goin, yeah!
I ain't worried 'bout what Jesus may be thinkin of my soul
I'm barefoot on a silver string, my faith is Rock and Roll
Some say our paths may intersect, some say he walks beside me
Though I appreciate the kindly sir, still I miss David Bowie.
Now the shadows keep on cowerin, the towers keep on towerin
And the flowers keep on....flowers keep on flowerin Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Flowers keep on flowerin, Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Midnight on a rooftop, tears in my eyes
I laugh at myself I wax and wane with the moonrise
I hear the people fill the darkness up with silly love songs
Ain't nothin wrong with that...There's nothin wrong with that
So you candles get to glowin, stars you get to showin
Trumpets get to blowin, dancers get to to-and-froin'
and then the dawn comes on and the colors glow
hens strut, roosters crow
and the grasses grow so the mowers mow
and the goin's on so the goers get goin
Now the shadows keep on cowerin, towers keep on towerin
And the flowers keep on....flowers keep on flowerin Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Flowers keep on flowerin, Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Hey Hey! (Hey Hey!) Alright! (Alright!)
Every day! (Every Day!) Every Night! (Every Night)
Hey Hey! (Hey Hey!) Alright! (Alright!)
Every day! (Every Day!) Every Night! (Every Night)
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
another rebirth, I'm born again with every sunrise
I see the colors start their glowin, roosters start the crowin
The grasses grow so the mowers mow
and the goin's on so the goers get goin, yeah!
I ain't worried 'bout what Jesus may be thinkin of my soul
I'm barefoot on a silver string, my faith is Rock and Roll
Some say our paths may intersect, some say he walks beside me
Though I appreciate the kindly sir, still I miss David Bowie.
Now the shadows keep on cowerin, the towers keep on towerin
And the flowers keep on....flowers keep on flowerin Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Flowers keep on flowerin, Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Midnight on a rooftop, tears in my eyes
I laugh at myself I wax and wane with the moonrise
I hear the people fill the darkness up with silly love songs
Ain't nothin wrong with that...There's nothin wrong with that
So you candles get to glowin, stars you get to showin
Trumpets get to blowin, dancers get to to-and-froin'
and then the dawn comes on and the colors glow
hens strut, roosters crow
and the grasses grow so the mowers mow
and the goin's on so the goers get goin
Now the shadows keep on cowerin, towers keep on towerin
And the flowers keep on....flowers keep on flowerin Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Flowers keep on flowerin, Yeah! yeah, yeah yeah!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Hey Hey! (Hey Hey!) Alright! (Alright!)
Every day! (Every Day!) Every Night! (Every Night)
Hey Hey! (Hey Hey!) Alright! (Alright!)
Every day! (Every Day!) Every Night! (Every Night)
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Everything is coming together! Everything is going together too!
Lyrics submitted by DrThunder
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
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.