"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.
Shooting from the hip
Slipping from an iron grip
Going further than I've ever been
Into the realms of the unseen
Fate is your enemy
Rebel against your destiny
Going further than I've ever been
Yeah further than I've ever been
Got a beautiful face go a fucked up inside
Need a shot of your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith
Yeah death is your fate
Never going to reach my goal
I know 'cause I have been told
Never finding happiness
Eternally in unrest
This is where the love lies
I've seen to the other side
It's always been just out of reach
Yeah but always just within my sight
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot of your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Yeah death is your fate come along for the ride
Going further than I've ever been
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot for your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Yeah death is your fate come along for the ride
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot for your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Need a shot of your faith come along
Slipping from an iron grip
Going further than I've ever been
Into the realms of the unseen
Fate is your enemy
Rebel against your destiny
Going further than I've ever been
Yeah further than I've ever been
Got a beautiful face go a fucked up inside
Need a shot of your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith
Yeah death is your fate
Never going to reach my goal
I know 'cause I have been told
Never finding happiness
Eternally in unrest
This is where the love lies
I've seen to the other side
It's always been just out of reach
Yeah but always just within my sight
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot of your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Yeah death is your fate come along for the ride
Going further than I've ever been
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot for your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Yeah death is your fate come along for the ride
Got a beautiful face got a fucked up inside
Need a shot for your faith
Come along for the ride
Yeah love is your faith yeah death is your fate
Need a shot of your faith come along
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
One of my favouritre Ash songs ever, if only causing I wasn't expecting something this raw from them. Plus the chorus lyrics are so fucking pure.