"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.
Soldiers, come quickly
I feel the earth beneath my feet
I'm feeling badly, it's not an attempt at decency
And if you're well off, well, then I'm happy some for you
But I'd rather not celebrate my defeat
And humiliation here with you
Someone, come quickly
This place was built for moving out
Leave behind buildings, the city planners got mapped out
Bring with you history and make your hard earned feast
Then we'll go to Omaha to
Work and exploit the booming music scene
And humility
And we've been talking all night
Oh god, come quickly
The execution of all things
Let's start with the bears and the air
And mountains, rivers and streams
Then we'll murder what matters to you
And move on to your neighbors and kids
Crush all hopes of happiness with disease
'Cause of what you did
And lastly, you're all alone with nothing left but sleep
But sleep never comes to you
It's the guilt and forever wakefulness of the weak
It's just you and me
The execution of all things
The execution of all things
The execution of all things
I feel the earth beneath my feet
I'm feeling badly, it's not an attempt at decency
And if you're well off, well, then I'm happy some for you
But I'd rather not celebrate my defeat
And humiliation here with you
Someone, come quickly
This place was built for moving out
Leave behind buildings, the city planners got mapped out
Bring with you history and make your hard earned feast
Then we'll go to Omaha to
Work and exploit the booming music scene
And humility
And we've been talking all night
Oh god, come quickly
The execution of all things
Let's start with the bears and the air
And mountains, rivers and streams
Then we'll murder what matters to you
And move on to your neighbors and kids
Crush all hopes of happiness with disease
'Cause of what you did
And lastly, you're all alone with nothing left but sleep
But sleep never comes to you
It's the guilt and forever wakefulness of the weak
It's just you and me
The execution of all things
The execution of all things
The execution of all things
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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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
Has any one ever thought this song was about the pilgrims and indians?
"Oh god come quickly, the execution of all things Let’s start with the bears and the air and mountains, rivers, and streams Then we’ll murder what matters to you and move on to your neighbors and kids Crush all hopes of happiness with disease ‘cause of what you did. "
It is manily that stanza that reminds me of pilgrims and what they did to the Indians when you get past the Thanksgiving joy....
Am I strange?
@Sousapalooza724 Over a decade late, but I've always thought that as well. Also the line below to me is an image of a soldier getting off of a boat into and walking onto land, i guess similar to the pilgrims. I always picture this line as a pair of boots trudding through crystal clear water and the person is carrying a musket and beckoning to others behind them. <br /> <br /> "Soldiers come quickly, I feel the earth beneath my feet"