"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.
You gotta feel so guilty
Got so much for so little
Then you find that feeling just won't go away
You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there's nothing left for you anyway
Goodbye
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
You wanted to get somewhere so badly
You had to lose yourself along the way
You change a name but that's okay
It's necessary
And what you leave behind
You don't miss anyway
Goodbye
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
'Cause I'm already gone
Felt that way all along
Closer to you every day
I didn't want it that much anyway
You're taking steps that make you feel dizzy
Then you get to like the way it feels
You hurt yourself you hurt your lover
Then you discover
What you thought was freedom is just greed
Goodbye
It's emotional
Goodnight
I'll be up with the sun
Are you still holding on
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
Got so much for so little
Then you find that feeling just won't go away
You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there's nothing left for you anyway
Goodbye
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
You wanted to get somewhere so badly
You had to lose yourself along the way
You change a name but that's okay
It's necessary
And what you leave behind
You don't miss anyway
Goodbye
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
'Cause I'm already gone
Felt that way all along
Closer to you every day
I didn't want it that much anyway
You're taking steps that make you feel dizzy
Then you get to like the way it feels
You hurt yourself you hurt your lover
Then you discover
What you thought was freedom is just greed
Goodbye
It's emotional
Goodnight
I'll be up with the sun
Are you still holding on
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down, oh
I'm not coming down
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
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”
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.
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.
This is my only and most personal favorite song, The wierd guitar gives a twist to the whole thing. the lyrics "You can keep this suit of lights and i'll be up with the sun...I'm not coming down" meaning that the guy is moving forwards and giving a thought of what he is leaving behind, then realizing what he had was not what he had also realising that he never had what he had in the first place... quite sad ... and confusing :(
But, he keeped optimastic and positive... and I hope that one day, He will reach the sun and get what he wants
it seems to me to be about fame and realising how different he is now from when the band was just starting and the sacrifices made to get there "you wanted to get somewhere so badly you had to lose yourself along the way you change a name but that's okay... it's necessary and what you leave behind you don't miss anyway "
I wish Pop got more recognition than it does...it deserves it. This song is a perfect example of why.
In addition to the more personal interpretations, these lyrics are a critique of society, much like the rest of the album. It's about rising above the artificial needs society imposes on us and attempting to reconcile the conflicting impulses of being true to yourself and playing the game, so to speak. Pop is very strong on these themes, filled with images of lost innocence and characters who've been turned into something other than themselves or are longing for meaning in a plastic world. "Staring at the Sun," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Gone," etc...or the satires of "Discoteque" and "Playboy Mansion."
Great song!
This song is the best of Pop and one of the best of U2 career.
It's clearly about fame, I read somewhere that this came after a conversation with Michael Hutchence about the toxic effects of fame, which makes a lot of sense. The lyricist here is self-critic about how he changed due to his always rising fame. I like to think about it as a second part of The Fly, a kind of redemption of the character, his confession.
"You changed your name, well that's okay, it's necessary And what you leave behind you don't miss anyway (...) You're taking steps that make you feel dizzy Then you learn to like the way it feels. You hurt yourself, you hurt your lover Then you discover What you thought was freedom is just greed."
When Achtung Baby came up, they left behind the sound of the 80's. Bono changed his name to The Fly, who was an arrogant and cinic character. It felt like freedom, but it really was just greed. I also think that Bono somehow connected with Hutchence deeper problems, the ones who made him commit suicide. This song talks a lot more about him than Stuck In A Moment, and if you notice in the Elevation 2001 Live from Boston, when this song's weird guitar starts, he screams 'Hutch! Hear me!' to finally begin the song.
I love this song, it had a dirty sound.... when I think of this song I think this as a realization of the what is real and what is bullshit, Enlightenment so to speak.<br /> <br /> you get to feel so guilty got so much for so little<br /> then you find that feeling just won't go away (Taking Advantage of Others, manipulation)<br /> <br /> you're holding on to every little thing so tightly<br /> till there's nothing left for you anyway (Pointless Materialism)<br /> <br /> GOODBYE YOU CAN KEEP THIS SUIT OF LIGHTS ( So long, sell your hit else where)<br /> I'LL BE UP WITH THE SUN <br /> ANDNOTCOMINGDOWN... IMNOTCOMINGDOWN<br /> IMNOTCOMINGDOWN (Living at a higher lever, wating no more time)<br /> <br /> you wanted to get somewhere so badly<br /> you had to lose yourself along the way (Change, be different... very difficult)<br /> you change a name but that's okay... it's necessary<br /> and what you leave behind you don't miss anyway (Need vs Want)<br /> <br /> GOODBYE YOU CAN KEEP THIS SUIT OF LIGHTS<br /> I'LL BE UP WITH THE SUN<br /> ANDNOTCOMINGDOWN... IMNOTCOMINGDOWN<br /> IMNOTCOMINGDOWN<br /> <br /> AND I'M ALREADY GONE<br /> FELT that way all along<br /> closer to you every day<br /> didn't want it that much anyway (Enlightenment)<br /> <br /> you're taking steps that make you feel dizzy<br /> then you get to like the way it feels <br /> you hurt yourself you hurt your lover (Active Change creates painn to you and to the people around you)<br /> <br /> then you discover...<br /> what you thought was freedom was just greed (Back to the material...Need vs. Want)<br /> goodbye... no emotional goodnight (Letting go without feelings)<br /> we'll be up WITH the sun<br /> are you still holding on<br /> I'm not coming down<br /> I'm not coming down
how the fuck can GONE be written about mike hutchence, when he fucking died near the end of the popmart tour you silly twat.<br /> <br /> the song is about kurt cobain, its as simple as that. as i
ve already stated. he never quoted this on tour, as he wasn
t actually even remotely aquainted with kurt.<br /> <br /> he screams BOB at earls court shows on the elevation tour,,,,,does that mean the songs about his dad. no!<br /> <br />This song is definitely a self-critique by Bono. Pop (the album this song is from) was at the height of their self-indulgence, individually, and as a band. The line "what you thought was freedom was just greed" is very revealing. What began as U2 attempting to transform themselves from far too serious band to fun glitz rock stars, went way too far.
watch it being performed on the elavation tour dvd and you will see what an excellent peformance they make out of it.
Bono says this song is his message to those "fans" who said that U2 sold out.
song is about how he changed to get fame and wont look back - also about his mothers death in my opinion "closer to you everyday" ie each day is closer to his his death when he can be re-united and once dead he wont look back either "ill be up with the sun im not comin down - you can keep this suit of lights"(fame).
A very striking song, the best part is the strange guitar, which only makes it better. What this song means to me is that it can be seen as a song to tell someone you're not coming back (if a relationship has ended).
This is about somone wanting somthing so bad their willing to sacrifice everything for it I think it's the best track on POP.