"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've been sinning
I've been livin'
I've been beaten
By Saturdays
On a diamond
I lay on a diamond
On a diamond
I lay awake
D'Artagnan
Good ol' D'Artagnan
He ain't got a thing on me
I've been minding
To my field of timing
Too bad your time in
It just never came
Well I don't know how else to say it
In a different way
But why don't you just fade away
'Cause there's a battle going on
Down south of Babylon
So why don't you just fade away
I've been dealing
I've been healing
I've been dealing
A crooked game
Thieving pirates
I've been livin'
I've been beaten
By Saturdays
On a diamond
I lay on a diamond
On a diamond
I lay awake
D'Artagnan
Good ol' D'Artagnan
He ain't got a thing on me
I've been minding
To my field of timing
Too bad your time in
It just never came
Well I don't know how else to say it
In a different way
But why don't you just fade away
'Cause there's a battle going on
Down south of Babylon
So why don't you just fade away
I've been dealing
I've been healing
I've been dealing
A crooked game
Thieving pirates
Lyrics submitted by pnkseashel
D'Artagnan's Theme Lyrics as written by Clarence Greenwood
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
In no way do I give my interpretation as fact, but I think you are all wrong. I don't believe this song has anything to do with the wars America is involved in. I believe this song is about a woman. Its about loving a woman he cannot be with. I don't believe every song an artist writes has direct literal meaning to the words they use. When Cope talks about "Babylon" I believe he's speaking about a woman who he is in love with who lives in New York City. Take Cope's background of living in NYC and D.C. and his hip hop background. I am an hip hop head. I have been for over 20 years. In the hip hop world many hip hop artists refer to NYC as "Babylon." They refer to New Jersey as "New Jerusalem."
This song speaks to me as the song writer is very lonesome for an woman who either left him, or left her, and he can't get her out of his head. I know for myself that there is a certain woman in my life that things are incomplete, we are on 2 different sides of the nation, and no matter how much I try to get her out of my head, the battle continues. I've tried dating other women, I've tried sleeping with other women, boozing to forget her, working vigorously to forget her, and nothing works. I wish she would fade away. She was my diamond that I still lay awake for. I do believe the song writer is comparing his love to D'Artaganan, but not in the since of American wars, but war of the heart for a woman he still loves but cannot have.
The lyrics, "I've been minding, To my field of timing,Too bad your timing, It just never came." these are key to understanding this song as a song about lost love.
Just my opinion though. Interpret the song however you like.
@VisualArte I agree, but I think the woman did him serious wrong. I have an Ex-BF who to this day tells people that "when you're done with a woman, she should just die, just be GONE! I hate it when Ex-GF's show up in MY city after I've finished with them." Kinda harsh, I know, and this guy sys this about everyone who leaves him. Cope, I think is just wanting the whole sad story finished. D'Artagnan may be mentioned because of his own broken marriage. His wife was a real piece of work, too. The whole diamond thing is such a clever image to bring up. I assumed he was laying in a deserted baseball diamond in DC just ruminating about this recently ended relationship and comparing himself and his values to D'Artagnan's and the commonality that they both got burned badly by a woman. I don't know much about his life though so, this could all be my own life bleeding thru. BTW, about "Babylon" - that is not just the name for NYC but ANY and ALL Cities of man. it's a Rasta thing taken from the Bible. Babylon is the entire world that is ruled by satan - the material world. I agree that it means NYC in this song, but it doesn't always mean that.
@VisualArte Hey, I like your idea about NYC being Babalon. But I kinda have a different idea about the "battle going on", to an extend. My interpretation is that he feels remorse about the kind of life he leads. He has the success of venture, but lays wake restlessly, longing. I think he left the other person. I think he vilifies himself when talking about thieving pirates.