"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.
I've got a secret and I can't explain
All the time I've waited for this day
All along I was never in doubt
I've always knew it could ever get out
There are things that I cannot tell
And there are things that you know damn well
This is getting very hard for me
I guess you'd better just wait and see
Shut up!
This is all
This is all
Secret.
You brought a message and the message was clear
All the time you wipe away that tear
All I want is to hold your hand
To see the sun and walk the sand
You make me sad as you make me glad
And now you see all my secret is is love (is love...)
Everyday I'm always there
You can't fight me
And make me feel it's worth my while
And then I look around and you're not there
And every day you say you can't hang out beware
Secret.
This is all
This is all
Secret.
I got a secret and I can't explain
.. is this all
All I want is to hold your hand
.. is this all
All along I was never in doubt
.. is this all
To see the sun and to walk the sand
.. is this all Secret
(fade)
I got a secret and I can't explain
All I want is to hold your hand
All the time I've waited for this day
All along I was never in doubt
I've always knew it could ever get out
There are things that I cannot tell
And there are things that you know damn well
This is getting very hard for me
I guess you'd better just wait and see
Shut up!
This is all
This is all
Secret.
You brought a message and the message was clear
All the time you wipe away that tear
All I want is to hold your hand
To see the sun and walk the sand
You make me sad as you make me glad
And now you see all my secret is is love (is love...)
Everyday I'm always there
You can't fight me
And make me feel it's worth my while
And then I look around and you're not there
And every day you say you can't hang out beware
Secret.
This is all
This is all
Secret.
I got a secret and I can't explain
.. is this all
All I want is to hold your hand
.. is this all
All along I was never in doubt
.. is this all
To see the sun and to walk the sand
.. is this all Secret
(fade)
I got a secret and I can't explain
All I want is to hold your hand
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
Perhaps due to personal significance I've always seen this as a song about coming to terms with a truth about oneself, bursting to escape but socially constrained due to the perception that it may not be readily accepted.
An awesome classic from an awesome band. Very much the essence of the 80s.
@henryl6 Agreed! If you’re not watching the video, and think of the song as him singing to himself rather than a girl, the meaning soars to incredible heights.