"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.
Oh my God it’s a monster
And it’s called Damian
He’s got a sister called Elise
And she looks like fried rice pudding
Custard
Custard
Custard
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Lee’s about to climax
On top of his VHS
He’s friends with a girl named Sophie
Who looks like a dead Chipolata
Custard
Custard
Custard
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Lee’s pulling out his cock
Something about Britain
And then he’ll put his kit on
If I sell his French Mitten
Lee knows he will Irish something his potato and a yellow bucket too
Damian looks like a baseball and Elise stinks like Shit….
ake mushrooms
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Waffle
Muffin
And it’s called Damian
He’s got a sister called Elise
And she looks like fried rice pudding
Custard
Custard
Custard
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Lee’s about to climax
On top of his VHS
He’s friends with a girl named Sophie
Who looks like a dead Chipolata
Custard
Custard
Custard
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Lee’s pulling out his cock
Something about Britain
And then he’ll put his kit on
If I sell his French Mitten
Lee knows he will Irish something his potato and a yellow bucket too
Damian looks like a baseball and Elise stinks like Shit….
ake mushrooms
Sitting here with my white cup
I’m a banana with a laptop
I don’t know how to make the music stop
But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop
Du du du du salad
Di di di di muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Muffin
Waffle
Muffin
Lyrics submitted by Bullseye
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
I think this song has many deep meanings hidden in there. I think this song could be about war.
"Oh my God it’s a monster And it’s called Damian He’s got a sister called Elise And she looks like fried rice pudding Custard Custard Custard" I think this is talking about war being the "monster" and the "Custard" is the bloodshed.
"Sitting here with my white cup I’m a banana with a laptop I don’t know how to make the music stop But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop Du du du du salad Di di di di muffin"
The "White Cup" is a juxtaposition of the darkness of war. This could suggest prayer or hoping for a miracle. Being a "Banana" could mean being trapped in ones skin. " Don't know how to make the music stop" could be talking about the person not knowing how to make the conflict stop. "But I’m sure that Damian loves a bit of hip-hop,Du du du du salad Di di di di muffin" trying to take thier mind off the things going on.
"Lee’s about to climax, On top of his VHS He’s friends with a girl named Sophie Who looks like a dead Chipolata Custard Custard Custard" Again talks about the conflict, this verse focuses on alliances. "about to climax" is talking about possiblty a weapon being fired E.g nuclear.
"Lee’s pulling out his cock Something about Britain And then he’ll put his kit on If I sell his French Mitten" The soldiers are about to pull out their guns, and are talking about Britian. They will free the prisoners if they give intelligence.
"Lee knows he will Irish something his potato and a yellow bucket too Damian looks like a baseball and Elise stinks like Shit…. ake mushrooms" Ireland mention which suggests enemies of UK.