"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.
a cat came drifting, on my porch from the outside cold,
and with eyes closed drinking, warm milk from my bowl, thought:
nobody hears me (x2)
'cause I crept in so soft
and nobody sees me
nobody sees me
as I watched six steps off,
like, the peacocks wandering,
the walkways of the zoo
who have twice the autonomy
the giraffes and the tigers do, saying:
no one can stop me (x2)
no one clips my claws
now everyone watch me
everyone watch me
scale these outside walls
oh, you pious and profane,
put away your praise and blame,
"a glass can only spill what it contains"
To the perpetually plain and the incurably inane
a glass can only spill what it contains
what new mystery is this?
what blessed backwardness?
the Immeasurable One is held and does not resist!
struck by wicked words and foolish fists of senseless men
the Almighty One does not defend!
I was halfway listening, to what she thinks she knows,
We're like children dressing, in our parents' clothes, saying:
Nobody knows me, (x2)
No one knows my name,
Nobody knows me (x2)
(nobody knows me)
I half-heartedly explained
but gave up peacefully ashamed
as a glass can only spill what it contains
we went to Portugal and Spain
and in her mind the entire time it rained!
a glass can only spill what it contains
what new mystery is this? overflowing emptiness
the Invisible is seen among the shadows and the mist,
before my doubting eyes the Infinite appears in time -
the Unquestionable is question but makes no reply!
what new mystery is this?! (x5)
"my Rabbi!"
my lips betray with a kiss
what new mystery is this?
and with eyes closed drinking, warm milk from my bowl, thought:
nobody hears me (x2)
'cause I crept in so soft
and nobody sees me
nobody sees me
as I watched six steps off,
like, the peacocks wandering,
the walkways of the zoo
who have twice the autonomy
the giraffes and the tigers do, saying:
no one can stop me (x2)
no one clips my claws
now everyone watch me
everyone watch me
scale these outside walls
oh, you pious and profane,
put away your praise and blame,
"a glass can only spill what it contains"
To the perpetually plain and the incurably inane
a glass can only spill what it contains
what new mystery is this?
what blessed backwardness?
the Immeasurable One is held and does not resist!
struck by wicked words and foolish fists of senseless men
the Almighty One does not defend!
I was halfway listening, to what she thinks she knows,
We're like children dressing, in our parents' clothes, saying:
Nobody knows me, (x2)
No one knows my name,
Nobody knows me (x2)
(nobody knows me)
I half-heartedly explained
but gave up peacefully ashamed
as a glass can only spill what it contains
we went to Portugal and Spain
and in her mind the entire time it rained!
a glass can only spill what it contains
what new mystery is this? overflowing emptiness
the Invisible is seen among the shadows and the mist,
before my doubting eyes the Infinite appears in time -
the Unquestionable is question but makes no reply!
what new mystery is this?! (x5)
"my Rabbi!"
my lips betray with a kiss
what new mystery is this?
Lyrics submitted by Fat Kid With Asthma, edited by Numbzie
A Glass Can Only Spill What it Contains Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
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”
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/
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
*PERPETUALLY PLAIN, not place.