"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.
Would you change this all if you'd had your say
Waking up in darkness must have been hard
Finding all those moments burned into reminisce
Desperately you crawl and ask yourself
If you could just open your eyes
If you could just open your eyes
For everyone's sake
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
For everyone's sake
I got left behind
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
Making sense of senses you've never felt
Clutching on to dust as hope becomes clear
People breathing air in hope of a perfect world
All these chances you could make it all fit
If you could just open your eyes
If you could just open your eyes
For everyone's sake
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
For everyone's sake
I got left behind
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
If you could just open your eyes
Waking up in darkness must have been hard
Finding all those moments burned into reminisce
Desperately you crawl and ask yourself
If you could just open your eyes
If you could just open your eyes
For everyone's sake
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
For everyone's sake
I got left behind
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
Making sense of senses you've never felt
Clutching on to dust as hope becomes clear
People breathing air in hope of a perfect world
All these chances you could make it all fit
If you could just open your eyes
If you could just open your eyes
For everyone's sake
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
For everyone's sake
I got left behind
For everyone's sake
Stay away from here
If you could just open your eyes
Lyrics submitted by strider3005
Open Your Eyes Lyrics as written by Omar Abidi Charles Robert Simpson
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Its about opening your eyes to a new world full of hope, its probaly the most happy song on the album.
that one line is "making sense of senses you've never felt"
I actually find this song pretty sad because I think they are pointing out that the subject of the song has turned a blind eye to whatever is causing the darkness. It's like a plea, a plea that someone will see everything that they see, everything wrong with the world
For those who are familiar with the film, tis song seems to be inspired from a song from End of Evangelion. In particular, the scene early on in which a certain character is in a catatonic state and another is desperate for some kind of human contact and they just can't get them to respond.