"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 hear the bells of freedom chimin'
And inside my heart I feel I'm dyin'
Wise guys never compromise
Then they loose their rights and they act surprised
Jail really cuts ya down to size
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
You can go up, down, or sideways
Be on death row, counting the days
They say the answers are blowin' in the wind
And to take yourself out would really be a sin
You just have to cope and start over again
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Little child cries in his sleep
And life makes promises it can't keep
And then feel you had, had enough.
You realize somehow, someway
Your destiny was planned from the very first day
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
And inside my heart I feel I'm dyin'
Wise guys never compromise
Then they loose their rights and they act surprised
Jail really cuts ya down to size
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
You can go up, down, or sideways
Be on death row, counting the days
They say the answers are blowin' in the wind
And to take yourself out would really be a sin
You just have to cope and start over again
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Little child cries in his sleep
And life makes promises it can't keep
And then feel you had, had enough.
You realize somehow, someway
Your destiny was planned from the very first day
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Let the punishment fit the crime
The footprints on the sand of time
The philosophy of the poet's rhyme
Makes a man humble in his prime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Punishment Fits the Crime Lyrics as written by Douglas Colvin Jean Beauvoir
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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.
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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think this song is about drugs.