"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.
Ladysmith wants you forthwith to come to her relief
Burn your briefs you leave for France tonight
Carefully cut the straps of the booby-traps
And set the captives free
But don't shoot 'til you see her big blue eyes
Then sound the charge breathe your final breath
And charge into the valley of death
Cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang all night
We'll fight them on the beaches
Yes, we'll fill 'em full of lead
Fighting naked in the open air
We'll fight them in the kitchen, in the bathroom
In the garden shed
Fighting the good fight any-fighting-where
So sound the charge breathe your final breath
And charge into the valley of death
Cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang all night
There'll be a cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang bang bang bang bang all night
Baby baby, I love the way you talk sense to me
Especially when you say 'Neil, you got love'
I hear what you're saying
I have in my hand a piece of paper that says
'Let's make lurve, not this phoney war-thang'
We goin' over the top
But you're so sexy when you're angry, honey-chile
Roamin' around in no man's land
Gettin' caught in your barbed wire
Baby baby, gonna set your village on fire
Charge, I'm gonna hit you where it hurts
Charge, so sound the red alert!
There'll be a cannon to the left and cannon to the right
(The hills are alive with the sound of)
Bang bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang bang
All night!
Burn your briefs you leave for France tonight
Carefully cut the straps of the booby-traps
And set the captives free
But don't shoot 'til you see her big blue eyes
Then sound the charge breathe your final breath
And charge into the valley of death
Cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang all night
We'll fight them on the beaches
Yes, we'll fill 'em full of lead
Fighting naked in the open air
We'll fight them in the kitchen, in the bathroom
In the garden shed
Fighting the good fight any-fighting-where
So sound the charge breathe your final breath
And charge into the valley of death
Cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang all night
There'll be a cannon to the left and cannon to the right
They'll go bang bang bang bang bang bang bang all night
Baby baby, I love the way you talk sense to me
Especially when you say 'Neil, you got love'
I hear what you're saying
I have in my hand a piece of paper that says
'Let's make lurve, not this phoney war-thang'
We goin' over the top
But you're so sexy when you're angry, honey-chile
Roamin' around in no man's land
Gettin' caught in your barbed wire
Baby baby, gonna set your village on fire
Charge, I'm gonna hit you where it hurts
Charge, so sound the red alert!
There'll be a cannon to the left and cannon to the right
(The hills are alive with the sound of)
Bang bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang bang
All night!
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.
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced 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.
Stuffed with innuendo, this is about sex without love, and how it often resembles war (I think).
features lyrics from the poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' by Lord Alfred Tennyson
"Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd & thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred. "
"Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die, Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "
Am I the only one who hears "CAMDEN on the left, CAMDEN on the right" as in the "alternative" market in London?
yes