"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’s the smell in the air, rubbbed from an ad in a magazine
There’s that lust in my eyes their hearts light up like TV screens
June is busting out all over
June is busting out all over
How could you look the way you do when we can do so much for you
A drug for eyes, a drug for hips, a drug to give you sweeter lips to kiss
A screw, a pull, a twist, the drug that makes you prettiest
June is busting out all over
June is busting out all over
It’s sad but true, you’ll be ignored - Unless you have a credit card
Imagine life fulfilled and fun you could be a model or just feel like one
Girls, the men are playing court, to us, girls are playing everything they ought
Because we’re beautifiers, face-destroyers, aunts, mothers, sisters, daughters
Buy it use it, feel it, let it, If you don’t, you’re ugly sad and tragic
An 85 step diet plan - You need to try to please that man
Your finger nails are red like claws - but it’s not for a worthy cause because
It’s june and busting out all over
June is busting out all over
The pain’s not bad, It’s something like a wet electric shock
But he’s your fella, And you love him
And all the rest is talk
There’s that lust in my eyes their hearts light up like TV screens
June is busting out all over
June is busting out all over
How could you look the way you do when we can do so much for you
A drug for eyes, a drug for hips, a drug to give you sweeter lips to kiss
A screw, a pull, a twist, the drug that makes you prettiest
June is busting out all over
June is busting out all over
It’s sad but true, you’ll be ignored - Unless you have a credit card
Imagine life fulfilled and fun you could be a model or just feel like one
Girls, the men are playing court, to us, girls are playing everything they ought
Because we’re beautifiers, face-destroyers, aunts, mothers, sisters, daughters
Buy it use it, feel it, let it, If you don’t, you’re ugly sad and tragic
An 85 step diet plan - You need to try to please that man
Your finger nails are red like claws - but it’s not for a worthy cause because
It’s june and busting out all over
June is busting out all over
The pain’s not bad, It’s something like a wet electric shock
But he’s your fella, And you love him
And all the rest is talk
Lyrics submitted by zweiundzwei
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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
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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
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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.
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.
To quote Amanda:
my first real public appearance as a songwriter was in the high school auditorium as the intermission act of the Rogers and Hammerstein muscial "Carousel". I had written a parody/protest song inspired by the production called "June is Busting Out all Over" and the director, Steve Bogart (who was, for the record, directing this schlock against his will) asked me to perform it. it was well received.