"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.
I met Jane at the center of the earth
It was dark there was dirt all around
But I gather you can figure that
And Jane says, I'm your body in the night
And I'll lead you where you might find yourself
Better if you follow me
So go right you'll be left at a big hotel
You'll meet the devil at the bottom of a wishing well
You know you better give him something
Give him something good
Like everybody else he's misunderstood
Jane says, it's a long way out
But I'm gonna make it out
'Cause I'm about her
See Jane says, you're as holy as a ghost
But who loves you the most, if you offer
I might let you carry me
And Jane there's nobody here but yourself
In the end it's the wealth of your spirit
Now hurry up get on with it
I went left, I got right at some big hotel
There was a devil at the bottom of the wishing well
He said, you better give me something
Give me something good
Like everybody else I'm misunderstood
Jane says, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
'Cause I'm about
Jane says, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
I'm gonna make it out
I'm gonna make it out
I took a guess and cut a portion out of my heart
He said that's nowhere close enough but it's a damn good start
I wrote the secret that I buried on the wishing well wall
He said, I've seen one it follows that I've seen them all
We spoke of human destination in a perfect world
Derived the nature of the universe found it unfulfilled
As I took him in my arms he screamed, I'm not insane
I'm just looking for someone to understand my pain
It's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
It's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
It's a long, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
It was dark there was dirt all around
But I gather you can figure that
And Jane says, I'm your body in the night
And I'll lead you where you might find yourself
Better if you follow me
So go right you'll be left at a big hotel
You'll meet the devil at the bottom of a wishing well
You know you better give him something
Give him something good
Like everybody else he's misunderstood
Jane says, it's a long way out
But I'm gonna make it out
'Cause I'm about her
See Jane says, you're as holy as a ghost
But who loves you the most, if you offer
I might let you carry me
And Jane there's nobody here but yourself
In the end it's the wealth of your spirit
Now hurry up get on with it
I went left, I got right at some big hotel
There was a devil at the bottom of the wishing well
He said, you better give me something
Give me something good
Like everybody else I'm misunderstood
Jane says, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
'Cause I'm about
Jane says, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
I'm gonna make it out
I'm gonna make it out
I took a guess and cut a portion out of my heart
He said that's nowhere close enough but it's a damn good start
I wrote the secret that I buried on the wishing well wall
He said, I've seen one it follows that I've seen them all
We spoke of human destination in a perfect world
Derived the nature of the universe found it unfulfilled
As I took him in my arms he screamed, I'm not insane
I'm just looking for someone to understand my pain
It's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
It's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
It's a long, it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
Lyrics submitted by AshleyRoseCyriac
The Devil in the Wishing Well Lyrics as written by John Ondrasik
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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No Surprises
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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.
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Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
I would love to know the song meaning on this one....it is a remarkable song....any ideas - I heard once it was about a one night stand and from somewhere else depression