"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 wish I was a pigeon
Slipping through the heaven\'s
Like a 747
Everyone left down below
Locked in a house of my invention
Learning the don\'t of fire prevention
If I roast marshmallows over their bodies
Do you think god will still find their souls?
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the influence
I dreamed I was a white tip
Slipping through the pacific
My heart for a shipwreck
And your legs left down below
Some things they come
All things they go
There ain't nothing like exploding
if you've got something to explode
Something
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the influence
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the in... (oh oh)
Under the in... (oh oh)
(oh)
Slipping through the heaven\'s
Like a 747
Everyone left down below
Locked in a house of my invention
Learning the don\'t of fire prevention
If I roast marshmallows over their bodies
Do you think god will still find their souls?
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the influence
I dreamed I was a white tip
Slipping through the pacific
My heart for a shipwreck
And your legs left down below
Some things they come
All things they go
There ain't nothing like exploding
if you've got something to explode
Something
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the influence
Just want to be like we used to
Under the influence
Just want to see like we used to
Under the influence
Under the in... (oh oh)
Under the in... (oh oh)
(oh)
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.
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”
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.
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.
I couldn't agree more... this song is just... perfect! everytime I listen to it, it just does something, it has that intangable, that "IT" quality that makes it amazing.