"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.
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
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
This is not a sweet song! The chorus is sweet, but the lyrics are about how they don't get along, they argue all the time, they drink too much, they have awful friends, and they're about to break up. He only loves her when he's fast asleep, and only in his heart does she have "the best of his love." If someone dedicated this to me, I'd throw up.
Fine take on the emotional feeling being expressed honestly by Henley.
I like this song a lot. This song is about how relationships tend go sour after some time. The writer keeps going back in time, imagining....daydreaming/dreaming about the past good times he has had with this woman. Yet he realizes that they have now come to a point where those good memories are jut part of the past and they now have to either get along or break up, which is why I really like this song because it is so relatable for everyone. The fact that they don't get along does not mean he dosen't love her though. He might be trying, but maybe that have just grown into different people that are just no compatable anymore. I think "the crowd" influences how they are towards each other, but if they were somehow eliminated, they would be happy together.
@mpc996 EXACTLY!
Man this is a classic, they just don't write songs like this anymore, songs that really mean something.
So true! :)
Amen to that. It seems meaningful songs ended in 1975 with the advent of DISCO.
I agree with Madfoot. But all in all, I think the guy is saying forgive me, let's start over.
well great song and what don is sayin we shouldnt have argued i do love you yes we had problems but thats life.
I agree with mpc996, this is about a relationship that has matured. It's gone through all the phases from first infatuation to deeply connected, but now they've gone from comfortable with each other to taking each other for granted. This is a song written about a relationship that has already splintered, and the author feels it's still salvageable. He's putting himself and his feelings toward his partner and hoping to get back the love they once had.
beautifully written,can't help getting emotional listening to it right now.It gives me hope for now.
This is a pretty good song, I normally wouldn't like songs like this, but it just sounds so good.
Personally I don't like this song - I love the Eagles and could rattle off a dozen other songs that I prefer. Nevertheless this get the most radio play.
I am astonished that no one has commented on this song yet! It is absolutely beautiful!
Yeah cant believe no one has commented the words are sooo beautiful