"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.
Oh yeah wooh
Hey hey hey hey hey yeah
Life's ambition occupy my time
Priorities confuse the mind
Happiness one step behind
This inner peace I've yet to find
Rivers flow into the sea
Yet even the sea is not so full of me
If I'm not blind why can't I see
That a circle can't fit where a square should be
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
And this hole in my heart
Can't be filled with the things I do
Hole hearted [Repeat: x2]
This heart of stone is where I hide
These feet of clay kep warm inside
Day by day less satisfied
Not fade away before I die
Rivers flow into the sea
Yet even the sea is not so full of me
If I'm not blind why can't I see
That a circle can't fit where a square should be
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
And this hole in my heart
Can't be filled with the things I do
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
Should have known from the start
I'd fall short with the things I do
Hole hearted [Repeat: x6]
Yeah
Hey hey hey hey hey yeah
Life's ambition occupy my time
Priorities confuse the mind
Happiness one step behind
This inner peace I've yet to find
Rivers flow into the sea
Yet even the sea is not so full of me
If I'm not blind why can't I see
That a circle can't fit where a square should be
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
And this hole in my heart
Can't be filled with the things I do
Hole hearted [Repeat: x2]
This heart of stone is where I hide
These feet of clay kep warm inside
Day by day less satisfied
Not fade away before I die
Rivers flow into the sea
Yet even the sea is not so full of me
If I'm not blind why can't I see
That a circle can't fit where a square should be
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
And this hole in my heart
Can't be filled with the things I do
There's a hole in my heart
That can only be filled by you
Should have known from the start
I'd fall short with the things I do
Hole hearted [Repeat: x6]
Yeah
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
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/
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.
This could be interpreted as a spiritual song where the "you" is God. It could be a song reflecting the longing for a true love. To me, Whole Hearted portrays the frustration of looking to an earthly lover (i.e. human being) to satiate one's mortal desire for wholeness that can only be fulfilled by a true connection to the "Source" within our own selves.
I absolutely agree with NunoInfo. This song is not about a woman, but of God. The worldly things have taken his main focus, but now he senses there is something missing in his life and that hole can only be filled by God. Gary has recently (past few years) expressed his spirituality more openly, and many people saw Extreme as a power ballady 80s band wannabe, led by an albeit masterful guitarist. Look at the lyrics Gary wrote: they are quite thought-provoking.
This album was loosely a concept album about a boy trying to find fulfilment and find his way through life.
From the WIkipedia page: Thematically, Pornograffitti may be loosely described as a concept album. It follows the path of young boy "Francis" (one of the middle names of singer Gary Cherone) as he wanders through a decadent and corrupt society. Along the way he is faced with materialism ("Decadence Dance"), promiscuity and teenage pregnancy ("L'il Jack Horny"), political dishonesty ("When I'm President"), avarice ("Money"), addiction ("It's a Monster"), pornography and the ubiquitous use of sex as a tool of the media ("Pornograffitti") and misogyny ("He-Man Woman Hater").
Regarding the title of the song: people talk about everyone having a God-shaped hole that can't be filled by earthly things. Here's an interesting article discussing that phrase: gotquestions.org/God-shaped-hole.html
Very good guys....you're on the right track. Ecc 1:7 - "All the streams flow into the sea yet the sea is never full"
I just noticed a bookend in the album Pornograffitti:
At the beginning of Decadence Dance and at the end of this track, there is the sound of a thunderstorm.
No question, this song is about God. References to biblical verses strewn throughout the lyrics. Great upbeat song too.
This song is clearly about a gay man who is coming to terms with his homosexuality. He is tired of living a lie by pretending to be straight, "that a circle cant fit where a square should be". The "hole" can only be filled by another man both literally and figuratively.
Sorry, i'm with NunoInfo on this one. I'm gay, and I don't get the reference you speak of. Clearly, the Ecclisiates reference of the Sea makes much more sense.