"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.
As he came into the window
Was a sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartment
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
You could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie are you ok?
Will you tell us that you're ok?
There's a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by, you've been hit by
A smooth criminal
So they came into the outway
It was Sunday, what a black day
Mouth to mouth resuscitation
Sounding heartbeats, intimidation
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie are you ok?
Will you tell us that you're ok?
There's a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by, you've been struck by
A smooth criminal
Okay, I want everybody to clear the area right now
Annie are you ok? (I don't know)
Will you tell us that you're ok? (I don't know)
There's a sound at the window (I don't know)
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie (I don't know)
He came into your apartment (I don't know)
Left the bloodstains on the carpet (I don't know why, baby)
Then you ran into the bedroom (help me)
You were struck down, it was your doom Annie (dag gone it)
Annie are you ok? (Dag gone it, baby)
Will you tell us that you're ok? (Dag gone it, baby)
There's a sound at the window (dag gone it, baby)
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment (dag gone it)
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom Annie (dag gone it)
Was a sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartment
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
You could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie are you ok?
Will you tell us that you're ok?
There's a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by, you've been hit by
A smooth criminal
So they came into the outway
It was Sunday, what a black day
Mouth to mouth resuscitation
Sounding heartbeats, intimidation
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie are you ok?
Will you tell us that you're ok?
There's a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom
Annie, are you ok? So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by, you've been struck by
A smooth criminal
Okay, I want everybody to clear the area right now
Annie are you ok? (I don't know)
Will you tell us that you're ok? (I don't know)
There's a sound at the window (I don't know)
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie (I don't know)
He came into your apartment (I don't know)
Left the bloodstains on the carpet (I don't know why, baby)
Then you ran into the bedroom (help me)
You were struck down, it was your doom Annie (dag gone it)
Annie are you ok? (Dag gone it, baby)
Will you tell us that you're ok? (Dag gone it, baby)
There's a sound at the window (dag gone it, baby)
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment (dag gone it)
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
Then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down, it was your doom Annie (dag gone it)
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Fast Car
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“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.
To me, this song is about something far more basic to human experience than "Rape" and murder. Rather, it is about a girl who is seduced by a man who couldn't care less about her. Hence, her heart stopping (Annie are you ok, a la CPR) and everybody needs to leave her be (I want the area cleared.)