"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.
Come into this night
Here we´ll be gone
So far away
From our weak and crumbling lives
Come into this night
When days are done
Lost and astray
In what´s vanished from your eyes
What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright
Come into this night
Your plight alone
Carry your weight
You are flawed as all of us
Come into this night
You only home
It´s never too late
To repent, suffer the loss
Come into this night
When you´re able
To undo your deeds
And atone with your lonely soul
Once you´re into this night
All minds are stable
Forget all your needs
Lose the grip of all control
Here we´ll be gone
So far away
From our weak and crumbling lives
Come into this night
When days are done
Lost and astray
In what´s vanished from your eyes
What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright
Come into this night
Your plight alone
Carry your weight
You are flawed as all of us
Come into this night
You only home
It´s never too late
To repent, suffer the loss
Come into this night
When you´re able
To undo your deeds
And atone with your lonely soul
Once you´re into this night
All minds are stable
Forget all your needs
Lose the grip of all control
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
"Benighted" reads like a love letter, basically an unspoken ode to Melinda. The outcast tries to convince her to come with him because he loves her. He tries to convince her to abandon her religion which is like a chain around her neck in his eyes.