"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.
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Out the club about three to the takeaway
The shit in a tray merchants
Shop's got a special perchant for the disorderly
Geezers looking ordinary and a few looking lairy
Chips fly round to the sound of the latest chart entry
An incendiary waiting to blast
No harm with a contest, who can throw the furthest
Behind the counter they look nervous
But carry on cutting the finest cuts of chicken from the big spinning stick
Then over flies a chip, flips, and hits you on the back
You spin round on the attack, "Fuck you playing at?"
He looks like a Cheshire Cat, almost falls down, your frowns
And Superman eye lasers don't even register
By now you want to leather this twat
And forever you're going to regret that, your choice of path
So mash his head up and your girl's now fed up
But stop to think and it's never going to be
The Jackie Chan scene it could have been to end up
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
So you owe someone money subbing skunny
"Best pay me"
"Billy, No worries, one fifty on Sunday"
But in some way that turns into Wednesday
Then goes straight to pay on a hazy evening in the local bar café
What a way
What a way
Just to recap for those at the back this is everyday tit for tat
You owe your dealer and can't pay it back fee suddenly he's the baddie
So you tell your mates you could have him anyway to look geez
But he's a shady fuck, Beemer 3 Series
Lock, stock and two fat fucks backing him up
Can't convey enough of his desire for the paper stuff
In a blunt fashion Billy's angry with a passion
So please just accept it ain't happening and go back to your running's
'Cause you might get yourself in trouble one of these days
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Get a hold of this bird after pub closin' hours
Would your girl like this no, don't think so somehow
In the winter showers but she'll never know and your face will never show shit
This is how goes it besides, she was well fit, and who could resist
Move up to the next place
Smooth clubs, flex, bass, beats, and your best mates
All down, nice sounds, Smirnoff Ice rounds
MC's clowning, rude boys frowning, everything's sweet
Everything's tucked in and round here we're all downing
But all of a sudden though just through the smoke
Is your bird laughin' and jokin' with a bloke
Ain't just that either as she moves closer
In a shape what looks like they're lovers
He's tonguing her
All rage sweeps up through your torso
Your more so ready to go over and show him who's man
Football fan style, leave it in the can for a while
'Cause even as they smile you've still got choices
Don't listen to them voices
And at the end of the day you may just have caused this
So leave the forces
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Out the club about three to the takeaway
The shit in a tray merchants
Shop's got a special perchant for the disorderly
Geezers looking ordinary and a few looking lairy
Chips fly round to the sound of the latest chart entry
An incendiary waiting to blast
No harm with a contest, who can throw the furthest
Behind the counter they look nervous
But carry on cutting the finest cuts of chicken from the big spinning stick
Then over flies a chip, flips, and hits you on the back
You spin round on the attack, "Fuck you playing at?"
He looks like a Cheshire Cat, almost falls down, your frowns
And Superman eye lasers don't even register
By now you want to leather this twat
And forever you're going to regret that, your choice of path
So mash his head up and your girl's now fed up
But stop to think and it's never going to be
The Jackie Chan scene it could have been to end up
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
So you owe someone money subbing skunny
"Best pay me"
"Billy, No worries, one fifty on Sunday"
But in some way that turns into Wednesday
Then goes straight to pay on a hazy evening in the local bar café
What a way
What a way
Just to recap for those at the back this is everyday tit for tat
You owe your dealer and can't pay it back fee suddenly he's the baddie
So you tell your mates you could have him anyway to look geez
But he's a shady fuck, Beemer 3 Series
Lock, stock and two fat fucks backing him up
Can't convey enough of his desire for the paper stuff
In a blunt fashion Billy's angry with a passion
So please just accept it ain't happening and go back to your running's
'Cause you might get yourself in trouble one of these days
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Get a hold of this bird after pub closin' hours
Would your girl like this no, don't think so somehow
In the winter showers but she'll never know and your face will never show shit
This is how goes it besides, she was well fit, and who could resist
Move up to the next place
Smooth clubs, flex, bass, beats, and your best mates
All down, nice sounds, Smirnoff Ice rounds
MC's clowning, rude boys frowning, everything's sweet
Everything's tucked in and round here we're all downing
But all of a sudden though just through the smoke
Is your bird laughin' and jokin' with a bloke
Ain't just that either as she moves closer
In a shape what looks like they're lovers
He's tonguing her
All rage sweeps up through your torso
Your more so ready to go over and show him who's man
Football fan style, leave it in the can for a while
'Cause even as they smile you've still got choices
Don't listen to them voices
And at the end of the day you may just have caused this
So leave the forces
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
Geezers need excitement
If their lives don't provide them this, they incite violence
Common sense, simple common sense
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
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.
"In a blunt fashion Billy's angry with a passion"
Billy Clubs?