"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.
Don't give me you tired act
After you've been running around
The time you spend with me you shouldn't be
Coming down(coming down)
Don't give me you're attitude(attitude)
Saying what you will and will not do(do)
Baby we need compromise if were gonna make it through
Push you're self a lil more boy
For me you gotta try a lil harder
I'm doing this for the love of you
Show me you're always gonna be there
No matter what your always gonna be there
Here's what you gotta do
I want to see you back flip,cartwheel,
Don't be cutting corners on me
Gotta give me all that you've got
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe
Don't give me no baggage cash
I've got plenty on my own
Bring me all your good stuff
Baby leave the rest at home
You've gotta realize a fee
Want to hear all that you believe
But if it ain't about being faithful
Then it ain't impressing me
Push you're self a lil more boy
For me you gotta try a lil harder
I'm doing this for the love of you
Show me you're always gonna be there
No matter what your always gonna be there
Here's what you gotta do
I want to see you back flip,cartwheel,
Don't be cutting corners on me
Gotta give me all that you've got
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
I want to be with you
There nothing I wouldn't do
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
After you've been running around
The time you spend with me you shouldn't be
Coming down(coming down)
Don't give me you're attitude(attitude)
Saying what you will and will not do(do)
Baby we need compromise if were gonna make it through
Push you're self a lil more boy
For me you gotta try a lil harder
I'm doing this for the love of you
Show me you're always gonna be there
No matter what your always gonna be there
Here's what you gotta do
I want to see you back flip,cartwheel,
Don't be cutting corners on me
Gotta give me all that you've got
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe
Don't give me no baggage cash
I've got plenty on my own
Bring me all your good stuff
Baby leave the rest at home
You've gotta realize a fee
Want to hear all that you believe
But if it ain't about being faithful
Then it ain't impressing me
Push you're self a lil more boy
For me you gotta try a lil harder
I'm doing this for the love of you
Show me you're always gonna be there
No matter what your always gonna be there
Here's what you gotta do
I want to see you back flip,cartwheel,
Don't be cutting corners on me
Gotta give me all that you've got
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
I want to be with you
There nothing I wouldn't do
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
I want to see ya back flip for real
Show me that you really do feel
Every thing you say that you do
I need to see it to believe it
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I dont like her another pop act l:'