"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 took the 405 and drilled a stake down into your center
And stated that it's never ever been better than this
I hung my favorite shirt on the floorboard
Wrinkled up from pulling, pushing, and tasting, tasting
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
Misguided by the 405 'cause it lead me to an alcoholic summer
I missed the exit to you parents' house hours ago
Red wine and the cigarettes
Hide your bad habits underneath the patio, patio
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
And stated that it's never ever been better than this
I hung my favorite shirt on the floorboard
Wrinkled up from pulling, pushing, and tasting, tasting
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
Misguided by the 405 'cause it lead me to an alcoholic summer
I missed the exit to you parents' house hours ago
Red wine and the cigarettes
Hide your bad habits underneath the patio, patio
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
Lyrics submitted by jephque, edited by jerrica114
405 Lyrics as written by Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
I think he is conflicted about the girl he is dating. On one hand things are really good, but on the other hand she's manipulative ("twisting the truth"). So he fucks up kind of on purpose with the drinking and not meeting her parents & doing the things he would if he felt the situation was right.
Part of him wants to go, but she manipulates him to stay.