"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.
There once was love
Thrown into your room
But you never knew
A calendar
Of days just for you
But you never knew, never knew, no
And the truth that you'll find
Will always be
The truth you hide
(Chorus)
So how do you love
How do you love
When your angels can't sing
And your world is still
Lacking of me, yeah
There once were eyes
That only saw you
But you never knew
A portrait of
A flower in full bloom
But you never knew, never knew, no
And the words that you fear
Will always be
The words you hear, yeah
(Chorus)
This space where you've been living
Has gifts you've never given
That's the face
You always show
Ask me for words of wisdom
Tell me of your condition
I don't know
I don't, I don't know
And the truth that you'll find
Will always be
The truth you hide, yeah
(Chorus x2)
How do you love (x10)
Thrown into your room
But you never knew
A calendar
Of days just for you
But you never knew, never knew, no
And the truth that you'll find
Will always be
The truth you hide
(Chorus)
So how do you love
How do you love
When your angels can't sing
And your world is still
Lacking of me, yeah
There once were eyes
That only saw you
But you never knew
A portrait of
A flower in full bloom
But you never knew, never knew, no
And the words that you fear
Will always be
The words you hear, yeah
(Chorus)
This space where you've been living
Has gifts you've never given
That's the face
You always show
Ask me for words of wisdom
Tell me of your condition
I don't know
I don't, I don't know
And the truth that you'll find
Will always be
The truth you hide, yeah
(Chorus x2)
How do you love (x10)
Lyrics submitted by shyzerDOTcom
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Fast Car
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The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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I was really in love with this girl down the street from my house from about the 8th grade until I was like 20 years old. We were really good friends though out high school but she never felt the same way about me and never really knew how I felt about her. I ended up marrying someone else and moved on with my life. After 25 years, she came back into my life and while my feelings for her are not exactly the same, their is still much of that same love I once had for her, although it's of a different kind now. Just as deep in some ways, but not in the way that I love my wife. Anyway, this song reminds me of her every time I hear it. Great song.
If you're completley oblivious to the love people try to show you, "how do you love?" How are you living without giving and reciving love?
I like this tune: I think it means that we tend to live wthout realizing all of the luv tht is in the world but instead we live in a negative way- ...
I'm really loving this song. I'd say it could be about falling in love with someone, having your heart set on them.. but they are pretending to be oblivious. And the reason I say pretending is because of the one line "And the truth that you'll find will always be the truth you hide." I just think it's a person who doesn't want to face the idea that someone is falling in love with them.
I agree XX sunshine
This song is about falling in love with the "one", but a person in the relationship is denying that or pretending they don't want to be in the relationship...sometimes finding the "one" can be scary, it can be something you dont want to admit because your giving that person apart of you that you never gave before....and thats a scary thing
thats what the song says.. "the truth you find" finding your true love... "will always be the truth you hide" and hiding/denying that true love
even though its hard/scary to face the "truth" it's even scarier not to..because then "how do you love"....or worse how can you live without facing the truth??
I am a huge fan of Collective Soul. The first time I heard this song, I loved it instantly...but when I really listened to the lyrics...I saw how greatly it related to relationships that I've been in in the past, and loved it even more. There is so much truth in this song. It's about somebody denying love because he or she does not want to see it. Often this also hurts the person who is being denied. Therefore, how do you love?
I think the song is about being in love with a narcasist. he gave everything, tried everything then realized his love will never be returned in kind because the person love themself more than anything
this song is beautiful, thats really all i have to say
How can anyone not LOVE this song??
The lines are beautiful. Simplicity and honesty make for a really great combination here. I like that CS's lyrics seem so simple yet serve as wonderful springboards for to dive deep and deal with some hard questions within you. And I always love it that you never know sometimes where your questions (even your confusion) can lead. I love this band, have loved them since "Shine," and Lord knows that was back in '93 or '94.
So how do you love How do you love When your angels can't sing And your world is still lacking of me
I find these lines such an aching and wistful sketch of a loss that shouldn't be.
He's singing to and about God. A lot of C>S>'s songs are religious. He's just careful not to mention God, but notice he doesn't say girl or Her. Who has Angels? God . And your world (Gods) is still lacking of me, ( boy that,s for sure )