"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.
Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home
Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through
Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don't know
Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home
Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through
Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don't know
Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you
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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”
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
It makes me sad....knowing that I had no love in my life.
this is the most beautiful song in the world. if it was impossible to describe something as elusive as love, john denver really hit the nail.
great song
I love this song. It makes me think of my parents' love for me..especially the parts of "and in those times of trouble" and "even if you lose yourslef".
Incredibly beautiful song. It's even better when he sings it with the male opera singer (whose name escapes me at the moment but it begin with "P," I believe). It's a song about love and memories and how memories are comforting. No matter how sh*tty a day or week or month can be, our good memories bring us back to happier times and have a way of keeping us warm and safe. This special song went so unnoticed...
Placido Domingo....his name just came to me. The duet is lovely.
I heard an interview saying this was a B-side. A DJ in Philadelphia played it by mistake and was flooded with calls. Nobody thought a duet with an opera star like Placido Domingo would be popular. enough to get airplay. They were wrong. If I'm wrong on this, please correct me. Beautiful song.
Though these comparisons are very meaningful and deep, Denver goes at great lengths to explain why he compares them to love. For example, John Denver compares the ocean to love because it is “full of conflict” and “full of change.” Though he explains most comparisons, he leaves some open for interpretation. “Like a fire when it’s cold outside” shows that love keeps us warm, and always has a place in our hearts. Denver also compares love to a resting place, a shelter from the storm. He shows in his music that in the endless moving stream of life, we need to find a break; in love, music, and nature. Those three principles are what all of his songs rely on.
Though these comparisons are very meaningful and deep, Denver goes at great lengths to explain why he compares them to love. For example, John Denver compares the ocean to love because it is “full of conflict” and “full of change.” Though he explains most comparisons, he leaves some open for interpretation. “Like a fire when it’s cold outside” shows that love keeps us warm, and always has a place in our hearts. Denver also compares love to a resting place, a shelter from the storm. He shows in his music that in the endless moving stream of life, we need to find a break; in love, music, and nature. Those three principles are what all of his songs rely on.