Fast Car
Tracy Chapman Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us outta here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
Take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?




You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

Overall Meaning

"Fast Car" is a song by Tracy Chapman about a young woman whose life is filled with poverty and hardship. She has big dreams of escaping her current situation, and she convinces her boyfriend to take her away in his fast car. Together, they hope to start a new life, free from the constraints of poverty. However, as time goes on, life takes its toll, and the dream fades. The song is a powerful reminder that dreams can come true or fail to materialize, and that the course of life is often unpredictable.


The opening lines of the song, "You got a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere", are about escaping the monotony of life. The singer of the song sees her boyfriend's car as a means of escape, and she wants to join him on his journey, wherever it may lead. She knows that they have nothing to lose, and so they might as well join forces and see where the car takes them. The song is a moving testament to the power of human connection, and the transformative effects that a fast car can have on a person's life.


Overall, "Fast Car" is about the desire for freedom and the lengths that people will go to in order to achieve it. It is a song about the need for change, and the hope that people can forge their own destiny. The song is as relevant today as it was when it was first released in 1988, and it remains a classic of modern music.


Line by Line Meaning

You got a fast car
The person being addressed has a car that is fast and could potentially take them to different places


I want a ticket to anywhere
The singer is looking to leave and go somewhere, anywhere


Maybe we make a deal
The singer is hoping to reach an agreement with the person being addressed


Maybe together we can get somewhere
Working together, the singer and the person being addressed could accomplish more


Any place is better
Leaving the current situation for something new is better than staying put


Starting from zero got nothing to lose
They are starting with nothing, so taking a risk to leave is not as much of a loss


Maybe we'll make something
By leaving and starting anew, they could potentially create something noteworthy


Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
The singer is not trying to prove anything to anyone.


I got a plan to get us outta here
The singer has thought of a way for the pair to leave their current living situation


I been working at the convenience store
The singer has a job at a convenience store


Managed to save just a little bit of money
The singer has saved a small amount of money from their job


Won't have to drive too far
Their destination is not too far away


Just 'cross the border and into the city
Their destination is across the border and into a city


You and I can both get jobs
Both the singer and the person being addressed can find work in the new city


And finally see what it means to be living
In the new city, they will finally understand what it means to really live


See, my old man's got a problem
The singer's father has a problem, likely an addiction issue


He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
The father has an issue with alcohol and that's just the way things are


He says his body's too old for working
The father claims he is too old to work


His body's too young to look like his
Despite being too old to work, the father is still too young to have the appearance he does


My mama went off and left him
The singer's mother left the father because she wanted more from life


She wanted more from life than he could give
The father couldn't give the mother what she wanted out of life


I said somebody's got to take care of him
The singer feels responsible for caring for their father since no one else is doing so


So I quit school and that's what I did
The singer left school to take care of their father


Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
The singer is asking if the car is fast enough to leave their current situation behind and start anew


We gotta make a decision
A choice needs to be made about whether or not to leave


Leave tonight or live and die this way
They can either leave now or stay in their current situation until the end of their lives


Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
The car was going so fast that it felt like the singer was under the influence of drugs or alcohol


City lights lay out before us
The pair can see the city ahead of them


And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
The physical gesture of the person being addressed's arm around the singer made them feel comforted


And I - I had a feeling that I belonged
The feeling of comfort and the physical touch made the singer feel like they truly belonged


We go cruising, entertain ourselves
The pair enjoys driving around and entertaining themselves together


You still ain't got a job
The person being addressed still hasn't found a job yet


And I work in the market as a checkout girl
The singer works at a market as a checkout girl


You'll find work and I'll get promoted
Once the person being addressed finds a job, the singer hopes to get promoted at work


We'll move out of the shelter
The singer hopes to move out of their current living situation


Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs
The pair hopes to one day have a large house in the suburbs


I got a job that pays all our bills
The singer has found a job that provides enough income to pay their bills


You stay out drinking late at the bar
The person being addressed has a habit of staying out late at the bar to drink


See more of your friends than you do of your kids
The person being addressed spends more time with their friends than with their children


I'd always hoped for better
The singer had always hoped for a better life than the one they have


Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
The singer had hoped that together with the person being addressed, they could find a better life


I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
The singer has no plans to leave their current situation and is content where they are


Take your fast car and keep on driving
The singer is telling the person being addressed to take their fast car and continue on their own journey without them


Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
The singer is asking the person being addressed if their car is fast enough for them to leave their current situation behind and start anew


You gotta make a decision
A choice needs to be made about whether or not to leave


Leave tonight or live and die this way
They can either leave now or stay in their current situation until the end of their lives




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tracy L. Chapman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@JonathanStephenHarris

Grammy viewer here!

@jakestroll6518

Welcome. We’ve been waiting for y’all to wake up to this gem.

@yasminmaldonado7998

😂😂😂

@user-xq1pg2ww1d

😂

@lisaVR46

Here I am!but also before of course

@nanylebron3597

I loved the Grammy performance!❤!

48 More Replies...

@dawnmazarati3301

The Grammy show was amazing, but NOTHING beats Tracy Chapman singing this song by herself.

@derekhorton5520

Thank you!!!! I’m trying to let the new one grow on me but no one better than Tracy!!!

@debbiewilliams940

Hi

@dawnmazarati3301

@@debbiewilliams940 👋🏼 Howdy!

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