"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.
It's cloudy in the west, it looks like rain
My eyes are black holes and I'm burning away
You slaughtered your loving man, killed him in his sleep
The blood and crying of your murder simply stains your sheets
Now, you're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
You thought winning as a woman meant failing as a friend
It is not an art statement to drown a few passionate men
You made yourself a diamond to blind young men's eyes
You claim because they want your shine, they deserve to walk the line
You're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost forever to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
Yes, I would give you my love
So my soul would not starve
But, it could never move the honest rock
Of what you really are
You're a ghost on the highway
You're like straw and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
If I ever lie with you again, I pray I do not sleep
If I ever closed my eyes again, I'd realize what you are to me
You are simply a liar, an animal who bluffs and steals
Until you become a bigger creature's meal
You're a ghost on the highway
Your trash and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
You're lost on the highway
My eyes are black holes and I'm burning away
You slaughtered your loving man, killed him in his sleep
The blood and crying of your murder simply stains your sheets
Now, you're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
You thought winning as a woman meant failing as a friend
It is not an art statement to drown a few passionate men
You made yourself a diamond to blind young men's eyes
You claim because they want your shine, they deserve to walk the line
You're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost forever to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
Yes, I would give you my love
So my soul would not starve
But, it could never move the honest rock
Of what you really are
You're a ghost on the highway
You're like straw and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
If I ever lie with you again, I pray I do not sleep
If I ever closed my eyes again, I'd realize what you are to me
You are simply a liar, an animal who bluffs and steals
Until you become a bigger creature's meal
You're a ghost on the highway
Your trash and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
You're lost on the highway
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”
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/
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.
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.
i agree. definitely about the literal love/hate with a woman. he knows she is no good in fact he has seen first hand what she has done to previous lovers and he cannot help but be added to the list.
About a Femme Fatale? But I think all the talk of her killing people is symbolic. It's more about how she slaughters the souls of her lovers when she leaves them.
And although Jeffrey Lee knows that she is this Femme Fatale character, he has to constantly remind himself about it. The heart probably tells him the opposite. ("I hate you but i love you", "If I ever close my eyes again, I'd realize what you are to me")
And in the end, he also feels sorry for her, she is "lost on the highway".