"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.
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Somethin' filled up
My heart with nothin'
Someone told me not to cry
Now that I'm older
My heart's colder
And I can see that it's a lie
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Children, wake up
Hold your mistake up
Before they turn the summer into dust
If the children don't grow up
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up
We're just a million little god's causin' rain storms
Turnin' every good thing to rust
I guess we'll just have to adjust
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin
I can see where I am goin' to be
When the reaper he reaches and touches my hand
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin'
I can see where I am goin'
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin'
I can see where I am go, goin'
You better look out below
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Somethin' filled up
My heart with nothin'
Someone told me not to cry
Now that I'm older
My heart's colder
And I can see that it's a lie
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Children, wake up
Hold your mistake up
Before they turn the summer into dust
If the children don't grow up
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up
We're just a million little god's causin' rain storms
Turnin' every good thing to rust
I guess we'll just have to adjust
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin
I can see where I am goin' to be
When the reaper he reaches and touches my hand
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin'
I can see where I am goin'
With my lightnin' bolts a-glowin'
I can see where I am go, goin'
You better look out below
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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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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/
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.
Purely going by the lyrics, this is what the song turns out to mean. It looks like he contradicts himself at the end, but I think that it's meant to be a twist...
At first he talks about empty promises being told to him as a child, so that he doesn't have to cry. Blind hope, faith. Something filled his heart up with "nothing." This makes me think he's talking about religion, since most of that stuff is just imaginary, passed down. "Nothing", so to speak.
"Now that I'm older, I can see that it's a lie."
I think he wants people to be more aware of their own faults so that they can prosper into future. I say future, because it seems like he's talking about how the last few generations soiled everything.
The next verse is self-explanatory. He sympathizes with what is happening to new children being born, but then goes on to compare humans to "little (isolated) gods causing rainstorms, turning everything good to rust." Which is at least partially true. Even in places where people are prosperous, the human or social conditions can be absolutely terrible, nullifying everything that is good.
The next verse: the master of his own personal rainstorm, he knows where he is going to go when he dies--to Hell.
The twist is that he is still religious, he just lost faith in mankind, and is ready to go to Hell.
@GhostlyNinetyFive Its not 'hell' its just into the ground. You will be dust