"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.
[Verse-1]
As they shackled and chained me for a murder case
Out the hood on my way to CYA
And from CYA to the Pembrooke
If they find the murder weapon I get 10 more
But just like a g I remained calm
No witnesses a few more weeks I'll be going home
But as the fucking police car drove off g
I started thinking about my motherfucking family
About the dope game must of been the wrong move
I still here my pops saying nigga stay in school
But once you shackled and chained ain't no turning back
You get in front of the judge nigga you can tell your facts
I fell asleep in the back of the cop car
Woke up ?? bout a mothafucking phone call
And as they booked me I had a mouthful of crack
And when I shit tonight bitch I'm gone get it back
I must be daydreaming I'm thinking about my bitch
Til this motherfucker woke me up and cough quick
And as they checked me butt naked and balls dangling
With 50 other motherfuckers in the shower saying
Yo man check this out
You gotta sleep with one eye open and one eye closed fool
This your first time in jail nigga gone need some friends
By the way youngster what's your name
[Verse-2]
You can call me killer on the streets its the dopeman
And like Scarface you gotta let your nuts hang
I put my glock up to a fool don't move g
See in 94 suckers catching lugies
But ain't nobody tripping on the black man
You either learn to dope deal or you gang bang
See in the ghetto a life don't mean shit
And most blacks they don't know about politics
And once you marked for death than your ass is smoked
Cause niggas dying young in the ghetto
Gang banging that can get you 40 to life
So choose your casket red, blue or white
And once you gone ain't no motherfucking coming back
The way you live is the way you gone die black
Glocks pulled on this sucker for selling dope
Nigga owe me money so you know he gotta go
Fucking with my stash I'm gone kick that ass
Spend 17 rounds as they stuff him in a bodybag
Even though I know I'm living fucking ignorant
I guess that's the shit that got me in the pen
But since I'm in, I guess I got to hold my ground
Make a second case so motherfuckers ?? down
Hit the weights on a motherfucking daily basis
And keep my mouth closed and always remember faces
Cause once you in jail you ain't nothing but a number black
You never know when the fucker going to call you back
I'd rather sleep in some motherfucking quick sand
They killed my celly have you ever held the hands of a dead man
(Chorus x4)
Have you ever held the hand of a dead man
As they shackled and chained me for a murder case
Out the hood on my way to CYA
And from CYA to the Pembrooke
If they find the murder weapon I get 10 more
But just like a g I remained calm
No witnesses a few more weeks I'll be going home
But as the fucking police car drove off g
I started thinking about my motherfucking family
About the dope game must of been the wrong move
I still here my pops saying nigga stay in school
But once you shackled and chained ain't no turning back
You get in front of the judge nigga you can tell your facts
I fell asleep in the back of the cop car
Woke up ?? bout a mothafucking phone call
And as they booked me I had a mouthful of crack
And when I shit tonight bitch I'm gone get it back
I must be daydreaming I'm thinking about my bitch
Til this motherfucker woke me up and cough quick
And as they checked me butt naked and balls dangling
With 50 other motherfuckers in the shower saying
Yo man check this out
You gotta sleep with one eye open and one eye closed fool
This your first time in jail nigga gone need some friends
By the way youngster what's your name
[Verse-2]
You can call me killer on the streets its the dopeman
And like Scarface you gotta let your nuts hang
I put my glock up to a fool don't move g
See in 94 suckers catching lugies
But ain't nobody tripping on the black man
You either learn to dope deal or you gang bang
See in the ghetto a life don't mean shit
And most blacks they don't know about politics
And once you marked for death than your ass is smoked
Cause niggas dying young in the ghetto
Gang banging that can get you 40 to life
So choose your casket red, blue or white
And once you gone ain't no motherfucking coming back
The way you live is the way you gone die black
Glocks pulled on this sucker for selling dope
Nigga owe me money so you know he gotta go
Fucking with my stash I'm gone kick that ass
Spend 17 rounds as they stuff him in a bodybag
Even though I know I'm living fucking ignorant
I guess that's the shit that got me in the pen
But since I'm in, I guess I got to hold my ground
Make a second case so motherfuckers ?? down
Hit the weights on a motherfucking daily basis
And keep my mouth closed and always remember faces
Cause once you in jail you ain't nothing but a number black
You never know when the fucker going to call you back
I'd rather sleep in some motherfucking quick sand
They killed my celly have you ever held the hands of a dead man
(Chorus x4)
Have you ever held the hand of a dead man
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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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”
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Haha Fallen Leaves, you're still here... I was looking at the comments on a song and I was like "That's Fallen Leaves...".
Yup, I'm alive haha.