"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.
Oh, baby, baby
Oh, baby, baby
Oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know
That something wasn't right here?
Oh, baby, baby, I shouldn't have let you go
And now you're out of sight, yeah
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh, because
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
Oh, baby, baby
The reason I breathe is you (oh, yeah)
Boy, you got me blinded
Oh, pretty baby
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
It's not the way I planned it
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh, because
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
Oh, baby, baby (oh)
Oh, baby, baby (yeah)
Oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know?
Oh, pretty baby, I shouldn't have let you go
I must confess, that my loneliness is killing me now
Don't you know I still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
I must confess (my loneliness) that my loneliness (is killing me)
Is killing me now (I must confess)
Don't you know I still believe (I still believe)
That you will be here (when I'm not with you I lose my mind)
And give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
Oh, baby, baby
Oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know
That something wasn't right here?
Oh, baby, baby, I shouldn't have let you go
And now you're out of sight, yeah
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh, because
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
Oh, baby, baby
The reason I breathe is you (oh, yeah)
Boy, you got me blinded
Oh, pretty baby
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
It's not the way I planned it
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh, because
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
Oh, baby, baby (oh)
Oh, baby, baby (yeah)
Oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know?
Oh, pretty baby, I shouldn't have let you go
I must confess, that my loneliness is killing me now
Don't you know I still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
I must confess (my loneliness) that my loneliness (is killing me)
Is killing me now (I must confess)
Don't you know I still believe (I still believe)
That you will be here (when I'm not with you I lose my mind)
And give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
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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,
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Brit is awsum & u all kno it~ if u dont think so then WHY R U HERE? ha, gotcha on that 1 didnt i.
Oh yeah, & I think this song is about her asking her ex or w/e to give her another chance cuz shes lonely & doesnt know wut she gave up when she did if that makes sense... she wants another chance, not sex... grow up u horndogs ugh.