"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.
What, never say what you mean
All I hear is a scream
Never say that to me
Never say that to me
Wait, wipe that shit off your face
Let's don't stop till we bleed
The more you spit out your mouth the less I believe
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
I, can all that shit that you said
Ever make any sense
Where did you run to, bitch
While I was holding my breath?
What's sacred faded into nothing
Never put that on me
Never put that on me
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Waste
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
All I hear is a scream
Never say that to me
Never say that to me
Wait, wipe that shit off your face
Let's don't stop till we bleed
The more you spit out your mouth the less I believe
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
I, can all that shit that you said
Ever make any sense
Where did you run to, bitch
While I was holding my breath?
What's sacred faded into nothing
Never put that on me
Never put that on me
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Waste
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Denial seems it had to come
Relied on me to say it all
Denial has left you all alone
Lyrics submitted by §lipknotluva
Denial Lyrics as written by John Connolly Clint Lowery
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
Personally, I think the song is about someone he used to love, but she would never admit any of it. She made him say everything about what they felt for each other, and he got sick of trying to carry on a one-sided relationship so he's telling her to f*ck off now. Having been in a situation like that in the past, this song is very catharthic for me.
A great song by a great band.
i think the song means if you deny something nobody will ever believe you
good job darksilver, thats exactly what they said it meant. thats what i think also when i hear this song
Dude...you guys read my goddamn mind. That's exactly what I thought. GET OUTTA MY HEAD!!
awesome song. this is the first sevendust song i heard and it got me into them. i agree with the others on the meaning.
Have to agree 100% with DarkSilver. It's about a girl he was in a relationship with, who would/could never speak the feelings she felt. The singer is "relied on" to "say it all", and now she is "left all alone" because he simply can't put up with it anymore. Very catchy tune that really hits with me, as I too have been in a similar ordeal. Rock on Sevendust!
DarkSilver you are right. I have an experience with this song as well. It's what happens when only one person fights for the relationship because only love isn't enough. Both have to work hard at. Not necessarily to "say" things but to actually jump when the other person jumps. It just fucking sucks.
just to keep the thread you are right dark silver!!!!! i actually think u r!! but i also think that it could be about someone denying who they are to themselves. If you ever fucked something up for not doing it your way if so, look in the mirror while listening to this song and something will pop up i guarantee it. When it says where did you run to bitch i heard own up man u fucked up deal with it!!
This is a great song. I think it means to be true to yourself.