"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.
Little johnny's all messed up
'Cause first he jumped and then he looked
Those tracks of time those tracks are mine
Little johnny's occupied
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
Little johnny had an ache
That hung around the poor boy's mate
Every time that johnny ate
The little sucker fed the ache
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
Little j's a messed up boy
Who doled the pain but killed the joy
And little j he's gotta confess
That when he's offered just says yes
Little j is all messed up
First he jumped and then he looked
The tracks of time those tracks of mine
Little j is occupied
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
'Cause first he jumped and then he looked
Those tracks of time those tracks are mine
Little johnny's occupied
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
Little johnny had an ache
That hung around the poor boy's mate
Every time that johnny ate
The little sucker fed the ache
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
Little j's a messed up boy
Who doled the pain but killed the joy
And little j he's gotta confess
That when he's offered just says yes
Little j is all messed up
First he jumped and then he looked
The tracks of time those tracks of mine
Little j is occupied
Come on, come together
Come on, come together
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
This song, as with many Spiritualized songs in general, uses polyphonic production to convey a sort of insanity. The lyrics, I agree, are quite straightforwardly about opiate addiction. But you can’t forget the power of the music to convey part of the meaning.
I think the quasi-religious and triumphant music from the chorus onwards conveys redemption, recovery, and confrontation of the shit Johnny’s got himself into.