"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.
Floating on mist
Crept up the caverns of my brain
Received no warning
From nothing to a life code
Walk with me, you'll never leave
Wait to see your spirit free
Tell me how your heart's in need
As I drown you in the sea
Unwinding snares of distrust
Your wrist in my fast grip
Look me in the eye, I'm clear
This is your time
Face down beneath the waterline
Gazing into the deep
From love to death
In a time span of seconds
Oblivious to regret
Pushed into belief
In liquid cellophane
Gasping for air
Mercy in my eyes
Is the shade of the night
The piercing sounds you make
Soaring higher, higher now
And once left in my wake
Your memory's nothing but the scars on me
All over now
Forgotten why I needed this
Standing down
Disappear into the obscure
Resting days
Waiting for new disease
Biding time
Locked inside insanity
It always burns within
The downward spiral never ends
When driven into sin
Your salvation's found in a sinners deed
The devil guides the way
Tells me what to say
Pours himself inside
And snuffs the final light
Deliverance
Thrown back at me
Deliverance
Laughing at me
Crept up the caverns of my brain
Received no warning
From nothing to a life code
Walk with me, you'll never leave
Wait to see your spirit free
Tell me how your heart's in need
As I drown you in the sea
Unwinding snares of distrust
Your wrist in my fast grip
Look me in the eye, I'm clear
This is your time
Face down beneath the waterline
Gazing into the deep
From love to death
In a time span of seconds
Oblivious to regret
Pushed into belief
In liquid cellophane
Gasping for air
Mercy in my eyes
Is the shade of the night
The piercing sounds you make
Soaring higher, higher now
And once left in my wake
Your memory's nothing but the scars on me
All over now
Forgotten why I needed this
Standing down
Disappear into the obscure
Resting days
Waiting for new disease
Biding time
Locked inside insanity
It always burns within
The downward spiral never ends
When driven into sin
Your salvation's found in a sinners deed
The devil guides the way
Tells me what to say
Pours himself inside
And snuffs the final light
Deliverance
Thrown back at me
Deliverance
Laughing at me
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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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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/
I think one of the most important questions to ask about this song is not what is it about, but why.
Why would the narrator drown somebody? Just look at the third and fourth verses: "received no warning/from nothing to a life code". A life code? As in...pregnancy, perhaps?
One could make many interpretations of this song (and, indeed, all songs by Opeth). In this case, I feel like the narrator is talking about a woman who has become pregnant, and so he drowns her. Who's child? His own, perhaps, but more likely somebody else's - why else kill her?
What a dark, beautiful, haunting, epic song. It single-handedly got me into the band.