"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.
All the girls pose for the same for pictures
All the boys got the same girls' hair
And I am bored because I feel much older
Look at me as if I got a reason to stare
But you talk so loud that it calms me down
You're crying, let's make a toast
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I've read every word you've said
From a poster of a cat
Four books look across your sofa
I thought your coffee table was more clever than that
It gets worse once we get to her room
She stops and she sings, "Do do do do do do do do"
I claim "New Relgion" is my song
She doesn't get it
It's all before she's born
And you lock your door
Like I've been here before
I feel like I've seen a ghost
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
Suddenly between sheets and eyelids
I am reminded why I don't do this
I fall in love far too quickly
I never want her to forget me
When you're gone
Will you call, will you write?
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
All the boys got the same girls' hair
And I am bored because I feel much older
Look at me as if I got a reason to stare
But you talk so loud that it calms me down
You're crying, let's make a toast
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I've read every word you've said
From a poster of a cat
Four books look across your sofa
I thought your coffee table was more clever than that
It gets worse once we get to her room
She stops and she sings, "Do do do do do do do do"
I claim "New Relgion" is my song
She doesn't get it
It's all before she's born
And you lock your door
Like I've been here before
I feel like I've seen a ghost
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
Suddenly between sheets and eyelids
I am reminded why I don't do this
I fall in love far too quickly
I never want her to forget me
When you're gone
Will you call, will you write?
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
Oh, that leaves me one more night
Can I take you home?
I know it's wrong, but I know your type
She says she's leaving on a Sunday
I don't care, I need to know where to turn
I tried it once, it never caught on
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
I was the only one who got burned
Lyrics submitted by katieebobatie
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
myspace? huh? is myspace taking over the world? i do not think this about myspace...
Everyone is saying that he doesn't like one night stands and he's done them in the past and he falls in love and he knows he shouldn't anymore.
I think it's just the opposite. He WANTS the one night stand. He's tried love in the past, that's what didn't work out, and he was the only one who got burned, because he was the only in love. So he's decided he doesn't want love anymore, he just wants to fuck around.
He goes to the party looking for a girl. The young girls look at him like he's something special, because he's older (if you're a guy and have ever hang out with younger girls you'll know what this is like, .. fish in a barrel) so they look at him like he actually has a real reason to stare at them, while girls his age just brush him off.
She's leaving, he's got one night, and all he's interested in is taking her home. He knows it's wrong. She starts crying because she's leaving (probably for college.. girls always cry when they're leaving for college) and all he can think about is making a toast to get her more drunk so he can get what he's after. She keeps talking about how she's leaving, and he doesn't care, he just needs the directions back to her place.
But when he gets to her place, things are really wrong.. he realizes that she's really young, and just follows trends and doesn't even think for herself yet. Before he knows it they're having sex, and he realizes that he's attached to her, and shit.. now he's back to where he started!
I don't think the New Religion by Duran Duran reference is about an age difference...it's just about being unappreciative and ignorant of classic and meaningful things. By saying it was before she was born he's just implying she's the type that keeps with the trends of the time, including the music, so she had no clue what the song was.
It's about a guy who goes to a party/club or something that has mainly younger people there. He finds a girl and talks to her and shes leaving the next day so he goes home with her. He is older than her and it bothers him considering he knows the specific song she quotes and the album but she doesnt understand. He also mentions that everything she says is generic and can be seen "on a poster of a cat". He gets attached to the girl and she does not return the favor. He mentions that he's done it before and he "was the only one who got burned" or got hurt and no one else did...
Just my take..
he looks too far into things while she is sort of immature. i don't really know but i love this song
I'm not sure about this one... I think that the singer is saying that he takes relationships to seriously, and that a girl doesn't find it very serious and that she doesn't see it as a big deal to just move on. The guy realizes this but doesn't know how to change.
I'm really not sure, but this is such a pretty song. And it's cool to be the first one to comment!
i think...this song is about him and a one night satnd <br /> <br /> not quite sure
this is my favorite of all the new songs... its all about myspace and meeting someone and having basically meaningless sex and being hurt by it in the end
The girl sings "do do do" and in the singer's mind he hears the song "Hungry Like a Wolf." Nate then says he prefers the song "New Religion" (which is the next track on the album Arena by Duran Duran released in 1984.) But she doesn't get it, it's not her generation/"wasn't born." The girl seems too young and too unoriginal but still something draws him in...
I want to know what is "the poster of a cat" a reference to? I donno, the myspace theory is just crazy enough...
I think he's saying that everything she says is generic and is able to be seen "on a poster of a cat". Such as those motivational posters and such.<br /> <br /> My guess...
ok, i got the myspace feeling... it's not about myspace but, you get the idea of that "scene" what i got from it, because i'm kinda familiar with the subject is some guy at like a party and being so bored of all these people he doesn't know or doesn't care for and then he sees this very intriguing girl that he's like to get to know (in more than one way) and then she offers him like a one night stand the sorta "just sex" idea and then when he gets to her place he realized that she's just like the rest thinking/acting like they're much older and he stops really caring about liking her and accepts it as a one night stand he's not sad about her leaving anymore and then he realizes wait, i'm not this kind of person i've done it before (just sex) and it didn't work now, even though he knew she was faking it, he's still becomes attached and therefore, is "the only one who got burned" anywho... that's just my take on the song, i love it... :D
this is probably the meaning, and i definitely see the fake myspace culture thing, "all the girls pose the same for pictures, all the boys got the same girl's hair."
yeaaa...<br /> im with ya brotha,<br /> <br /> i like your meaning it seems to fit exactly what i was trying to say. hah
haha, yea unspokynpoet....i just listened to it for the first time and i came here right away to look up the 'do do do' part.
I think it's great that he doesn't even sing the last 'do', i guess to sound more coincidental.