"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.
Flattered that you think I warrant ugliness
Gutters drain West, mud made a mess of us
It's time to leave this place
I'd saw through your wrist to find a better trap that fits
I'd saw through your traps to find a better you
A part of you that lasts
I saw through your trap and into my own wrists
Saw we were through, red ribbons spill to blue
A sight to sore your eyes
I got this dress I'm hiking it around this waist of laughter
Slow dance alone with no one to the sound of four hands clapping
Congratulations to you both, I hope somewhere you're happy
If there's a moral to this story then I wish you'd show me
Hair in the blood, fly in the disappointment
Rubber, I'm glue, I'll write the book on you
It's sticking to my face
You need a little less than what you take for granted
This is the sip that's drinking back from you
Blacking out your eyes
You need a little more suppression of your appetites
This is your honeymoon, in separate rooms
It's neither sweet nor bright
I got this dress I'm hiking it around this waist of laughter
Slow dance alone with no one to the sound of four hands clapping
Congratulations to you both, I hope somewhere you're happy
If there's a moral to this story then I wish you'd show me
I made a word to give this state a name, this game a guess
I call it "sluttering" it means as little as your little test
You are your worst revenge, your very means, they have no ends
This is a story you won't tell the kids we'll never have
If you hear this song a hundred times it still won't be enough
Gutters drain West, mud made a mess of us
It's time to leave this place
I'd saw through your wrist to find a better trap that fits
I'd saw through your traps to find a better you
A part of you that lasts
I saw through your trap and into my own wrists
Saw we were through, red ribbons spill to blue
A sight to sore your eyes
I got this dress I'm hiking it around this waist of laughter
Slow dance alone with no one to the sound of four hands clapping
Congratulations to you both, I hope somewhere you're happy
If there's a moral to this story then I wish you'd show me
Hair in the blood, fly in the disappointment
Rubber, I'm glue, I'll write the book on you
It's sticking to my face
You need a little less than what you take for granted
This is the sip that's drinking back from you
Blacking out your eyes
You need a little more suppression of your appetites
This is your honeymoon, in separate rooms
It's neither sweet nor bright
I got this dress I'm hiking it around this waist of laughter
Slow dance alone with no one to the sound of four hands clapping
Congratulations to you both, I hope somewhere you're happy
If there's a moral to this story then I wish you'd show me
I made a word to give this state a name, this game a guess
I call it "sluttering" it means as little as your little test
You are your worst revenge, your very means, they have no ends
This is a story you won't tell the kids we'll never have
If you hear this song a hundred times it still won't be enough
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by LyricsFixer
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
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.
The girl he was dating was cheating on him. She was being a slut, hence the name. Onto the specific lyrics:
Congratulations to you both, I hope you're happy. If there's a moral to this story then I wish you'd show me.
You need a little less than what you take for granted.
You need a little more suppression of you appetites.
I made a word to give this state a name, this game a guess. I call it "sluttering."
This is a story you won't tell the kids we'll never have. If you hear this song a hundred times it still won't be enough.