"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 said I'm crazy one more time
Picked up the phone and wondered why
So many years of hidden dreams
Pushed down too far to ever win
Locked doors
And hidden ghosts
Denied myself with every joke
This was not me
This could never be me
Remembering so many times
So many lies so many lies
Ran so fast the years passed blind
So much time lost killing five
Locked doors
And hidden ghosts
Denied myself with every joke
This is not me
This could never be me
Whatever poison you may drink
Another list of "no's" persist
Antique and out of reach
I lose my life and take it back
Crashed this side of happiness
Hit the floor or hit and miss
Without the strength to follow through
Walked right past this life in you
Just one more kiss
Just one more chance
Just one more life
Of circumstance
Just one more call
Taking a chance
On circumstance
Picked up the phone and wondered why
So many years of hidden dreams
Pushed down too far to ever win
Locked doors
And hidden ghosts
Denied myself with every joke
This was not me
This could never be me
Remembering so many times
So many lies so many lies
Ran so fast the years passed blind
So much time lost killing five
Locked doors
And hidden ghosts
Denied myself with every joke
This is not me
This could never be me
Whatever poison you may drink
Another list of "no's" persist
Antique and out of reach
I lose my life and take it back
Crashed this side of happiness
Hit the floor or hit and miss
Without the strength to follow through
Walked right past this life in you
Just one more kiss
Just one more chance
Just one more life
Of circumstance
Just one more call
Taking a chance
On circumstance
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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/
I agree njbmx. It sounds like he denied his sexuality to himself and others for year. He had "years of hidden dreams" that he "pushed down." When he sings, "denied myself with every joke," it sounds like he tried to fit into an anti-gay stereotype (and made many gay jokes) to further distance and hide his sexuality. "Locked doors and hidden ghosts" sounds like a metaphorical refference to being closetted. He feels that he wasted a part of his life pretending he was someone he is not (someone that "could never be me"): "so much time lost killing five." After that, I'm lost. When he sings "whatever poison you may drink," could he be refering to drugs? Maybe he turned to drugs to distract himself from the lie he was living. I have no idea how the rest of the song fits into my little theory. It seems to be about a relationship he once had, as a few of y'all said already. Was that relationship prior to coming out, after? Indeed, he seems to want a second chance. Did he wish he could rekindle a relationship he had with a gay man before he was ready to face his sexuality? Does he wish that the 'circumstances' during the time they knew each other was different?