"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.
I've seen visions awakening
Drawing timeless life to an end
I've felt forces pulling me
And I have rejoiced in them
I've heard voices calling names
I have reveled in their beckoning
For the voices that summon me
Have grown immense
My senses keen with desire and pain
Senses heightened by my need to see
To feed the hunger that I feel inside
Awake my soul to ecstasy
My father the forsaken
The king of blasphemy
They cower at your name
They live in ignorance
They hide behind a doctrine
That has taught them only lies
Now let them see
Thy world
Immaculate!
I've seen visions awakening
Drawing timeless life to an end
I've felt forces pulling on me
And I have rejoiced in them
I've heard voices calling my name
I have waited for their beckoning
For the voices that summon me
Bring the gift of bliss!
Drawing timeless life to an end
I've felt forces pulling me
And I have rejoiced in them
I've heard voices calling names
I have reveled in their beckoning
For the voices that summon me
Have grown immense
My senses keen with desire and pain
Senses heightened by my need to see
To feed the hunger that I feel inside
Awake my soul to ecstasy
My father the forsaken
The king of blasphemy
They cower at your name
They live in ignorance
They hide behind a doctrine
That has taught them only lies
Now let them see
Thy world
Immaculate!
I've seen visions awakening
Drawing timeless life to an end
I've felt forces pulling on me
And I have rejoiced in them
I've heard voices calling my name
I have waited for their beckoning
For the voices that summon me
Bring the gift of bliss!
Lyrics submitted by MDMaster
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran
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This is my all time favorite MA song, Erik's solo at the end is amazing.