"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.
Can't breathe and arrive
With style
I'm still a sucker
Feeding it pills
With wine, it's tricky how
I'm pushin' you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes some sense look
I can't breathe and her eyes are dry
But still I will fuck her to keep alive
Plus my arms are still broke
But watch me
Push you back but still you ain't gone
Go
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes so much sense, oh God
She's gone
Gone
Gone
It's so sad
Wait up
I'm a wait right here
Right here
It's just gonna wait for me right here
It's funny how it goes
Think I'll, sometimes
Yes to all the fuckin'' world
One minute
One minute ago
There's just one minute ago
I remember
I was all that
Gone
Say you ain't still
Gone
Gone
Gone
Gone
I can't breathe and arrive
With my style
So watch you watch me
Fuck her just one more time
Wait till my arms heal and I'll
Push you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
I'll fuckin' push hard
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes no fuckin' sense
With style
I'm still a sucker
Feeding it pills
With wine, it's tricky how
I'm pushin' you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes some sense look
I can't breathe and her eyes are dry
But still I will fuck her to keep alive
Plus my arms are still broke
But watch me
Push you back but still you ain't gone
Go
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes so much sense, oh God
She's gone
Gone
Gone
It's so sad
Wait up
I'm a wait right here
Right here
It's just gonna wait for me right here
It's funny how it goes
Think I'll, sometimes
Yes to all the fuckin'' world
One minute
One minute ago
There's just one minute ago
I remember
I was all that
Gone
Say you ain't still
Gone
Gone
Gone
Gone
I can't breathe and arrive
With my style
So watch you watch me
Fuck her just one more time
Wait till my arms heal and I'll
Push you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
I'll fuckin' push hard
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
Pushing you back but still you ain't gone
It makes no fuckin' sense
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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,
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.
pushing you back but still you ain't gone it makes no fuckin sense juSt that piece of the song makes it great.. to me it means how u want to get over someone and life just keeps bringing him or her back to u.. its a song full of anger and feeling desperate about the misterious ways that life works