"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.
Jesus Christ, that's a pretty face
The kind you'd find on someone I could save
If they don't put me away
Well, it'll be a miracle
Do you believe you're missing out
That everything good is happening somewhere else?
But with nobody in your bed
The night's hard to get through
And I will die all alone
And when I arrive, I won't know anyone
Well, Jesus Christ, I'm alone again
So what did you do those three days you were dead?
Cause this problem's gonna last more than the weekend
Well, Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die
I'm a little bit scared of what comes after
Do I get the gold chariot?
Do I float through the ceiling?
Do I divide and fall apart?
Cause my bright is to slight to hold back all my dark
And the ship went down in sight of land
And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?
I know you'll come in the night like a thief
But I've had some time alone to hone my lying technique
I know you think that I'm someone you can trust
But I'm scared I'll get scared, and I swear I'll try to nail you back up
So, do you think that we could work out a sign
So I'll know it's you and that it's over so I won't even try?
I know you'll come for the people like me
But we all got wood and nails
Tongue tied to a hating factory
But we all got wood and nails
And we turn out hate in factories
Yeah, we all got wood and nails
And we turn out hate in factories
Yeah, we all got wood and nails
And we sleep inside of this machine
The kind you'd find on someone I could save
If they don't put me away
Well, it'll be a miracle
Do you believe you're missing out
That everything good is happening somewhere else?
But with nobody in your bed
The night's hard to get through
And I will die all alone
And when I arrive, I won't know anyone
Well, Jesus Christ, I'm alone again
So what did you do those three days you were dead?
Cause this problem's gonna last more than the weekend
Well, Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die
I'm a little bit scared of what comes after
Do I get the gold chariot?
Do I float through the ceiling?
Do I divide and fall apart?
Cause my bright is to slight to hold back all my dark
And the ship went down in sight of land
And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?
I know you'll come in the night like a thief
But I've had some time alone to hone my lying technique
I know you think that I'm someone you can trust
But I'm scared I'll get scared, and I swear I'll try to nail you back up
So, do you think that we could work out a sign
So I'll know it's you and that it's over so I won't even try?
I know you'll come for the people like me
But we all got wood and nails
Tongue tied to a hating factory
But we all got wood and nails
And we turn out hate in factories
Yeah, we all got wood and nails
And we turn out hate in factories
Yeah, we all got wood and nails
And we sleep inside of this machine
Lyrics submitted by EMOrtal, edited by Mellow_Harsher, fob0403, OrcMaster, brandnewdude, contraddiction, ghostyyy, EternalTearsOfSorrow
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Fast Car
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
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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.
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.
what really kills me about this song is how brand new manages to control the song's intensity. it builds up and builds up, then pulls back a little, til the wood and nails part... then once that's over you're left with the realization that that was the big breakdown. it's a beautifully written song to say the absolute least.