"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.
Let me tell you
Jenny's getting dressed up
In my room
Puts on her skirt and
She's looking good
Six am and she's leaving soon
Says what a crazy night
I had a real good time
But her kiss tells me
It's goodbye
Just like nothing
Happened last night
But if I had one chance
I'd do it all over again
One night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
For a one night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
No no
Now I'm left up
In my lonely room
She left her underwear
And her perfume
I never thought
That it could be this good
And I still feel her lips
Up on my fingertips
I'm trying hard
Not to feel rejected
Maybe the phone line's disconnected
But if I had one chance
I'd do it all over again
One night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
For a one night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
One night stand
But I'd do it
All over again for sure, oh yeah
Baby like a blind man
I rushed in
Do I have the right to ask you
Will you be coming back again?
(One night stand
I don't think she's coming back
One night stand
I don't think she's coming back
One night stand
I don't think she's coming back)
One night stand I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking
One night stand I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking for a one night stand
I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking for a one night stand
I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking
One night stand but I'd do it all again for sure
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand, ooh yeah
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I know it, yeah
Jenny's getting dressed up
In my room
Puts on her skirt and
She's looking good
Six am and she's leaving soon
Says what a crazy night
I had a real good time
But her kiss tells me
It's goodbye
Just like nothing
Happened last night
But if I had one chance
I'd do it all over again
One night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
For a one night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
No no
Now I'm left up
In my lonely room
She left her underwear
And her perfume
I never thought
That it could be this good
And I still feel her lips
Up on my fingertips
I'm trying hard
Not to feel rejected
Maybe the phone line's disconnected
But if I had one chance
I'd do it all over again
One night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
For a one night stand
I don't think she's coming
Back for more
She was only looking
One night stand
But I'd do it
All over again for sure, oh yeah
Baby like a blind man
I rushed in
Do I have the right to ask you
Will you be coming back again?
(One night stand
I don't think she's coming back
One night stand
I don't think she's coming back
One night stand
I don't think she's coming back)
One night stand I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking
One night stand I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking for a one night stand
I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking for a one night stand
I don't think she's coming back for more
She was only looking
One night stand but I'd do it all again for sure
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand, ooh yeah
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I guess it was a one night stand
One night stand
I know it, yeah
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I would love to have a one night stand with Enrique he would be wanting more and me too!