"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.
Wanna be young the rest of my life
Never say no try anything twice
'Til the angels come and ask me to fly
Gonna be eighteen 'til I die eighteen 'til I die
Can't live forever that's wishful thinkin'
Who ever said that must of bin' drinkin'
Don't wanna grow up I don't see why
I couldn't care less if time flies by
Eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Anyway I just wanna say
Why bother with what happened yesterday
It's not my style I live for the minute
If ya wanna stay young get both feet in it, eighteen 'til I die
A little bit of this a little bit of that
Little bit of everything gotta get on track
It's not how ya look, it's what ya feel inside
I don't care when I don't need ta know why
Eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Ya there's one thing for sure I'm sure gonna try
Yeah, don't worry 'bout the future
Forget about the past
Gonna have a ball, yeah we're gonna have a blast
Gonna make it last, hey
Yeah, eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Gonna be eighteen 'til I die, alright
I'm gonna be eighteen 'til I die, alright
Eighteen 'til I die
Never say no try anything twice
'Til the angels come and ask me to fly
Gonna be eighteen 'til I die eighteen 'til I die
Can't live forever that's wishful thinkin'
Who ever said that must of bin' drinkin'
Don't wanna grow up I don't see why
I couldn't care less if time flies by
Eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Anyway I just wanna say
Why bother with what happened yesterday
It's not my style I live for the minute
If ya wanna stay young get both feet in it, eighteen 'til I die
A little bit of this a little bit of that
Little bit of everything gotta get on track
It's not how ya look, it's what ya feel inside
I don't care when I don't need ta know why
Eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Ya there's one thing for sure I'm sure gonna try
Yeah, don't worry 'bout the future
Forget about the past
Gonna have a ball, yeah we're gonna have a blast
Gonna make it last, hey
Yeah, eighteen 'til I die gonna be eighteen 'til I die
Ya it sure feels good to be alive
Someday I'll be eighteen goin' on fifty five, eighteen 'til I die
Gonna be eighteen 'til I die, alright
I'm gonna be eighteen 'til I die, alright
Eighteen 'til I die
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
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
i am 25 but im 18. When i am 50 im gonna be 18 again.