"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.
He-hey, he-hey, oh
Oh yeah
Well, all right
He-hey
What is this feeling coming over me?
I'm taken back in disbelief
Is this really me, ha, in the mirror I see
Staring back at me?
Could it be? A new reflection of a woman complete
All of a sudden I'm so carefree (well, all right)
'Cause love is doing something strange to me (well, all right)
Got a new flame, ha, haven't been the same
Something in me's changed, rearranged
And I feel that I've been saved
You got me feeling like you're that something I've been missing
Everything's heaven 'cause life with you has been a blessing
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me to a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
And it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Said, it makes me wanna get down and pray
Yeah, hey
I've kept some company I shouldn't have (well, all right)
Made some mistakes, but that's in the past (well, all right)
I'm professing here to you
Proof that I am through
I'm coming clean
Now I can breathe
And I finally believe, yeah
You got me thinking I'll be all right, and you're the reason
Oh, I can feel it: we're moving in a new direction
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me into a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
And it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Said, it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Oh
Where would I be, where would I be
Without you by my side?
Where would I be, where would I be
Without you standing by?
Makes me wanna (pray)
Makes me need to (pray)
When I'm feeling low and all alone
You're the light in my day, yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me into a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
'Cause it makes me wanna get down and pray
'Cause it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Woo, thank you father!
Wanna lift my hands up and pray
'Cause every time I'm hearing your name
Wanna reach out and rejoice
Sound of your voice, yeah
Hey, yeah
All right
That's it
Oh yeah
Well, all right
He-hey
What is this feeling coming over me?
I'm taken back in disbelief
Is this really me, ha, in the mirror I see
Staring back at me?
Could it be? A new reflection of a woman complete
All of a sudden I'm so carefree (well, all right)
'Cause love is doing something strange to me (well, all right)
Got a new flame, ha, haven't been the same
Something in me's changed, rearranged
And I feel that I've been saved
You got me feeling like you're that something I've been missing
Everything's heaven 'cause life with you has been a blessing
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me to a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
And it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Said, it makes me wanna get down and pray
Yeah, hey
I've kept some company I shouldn't have (well, all right)
Made some mistakes, but that's in the past (well, all right)
I'm professing here to you
Proof that I am through
I'm coming clean
Now I can breathe
And I finally believe, yeah
You got me thinking I'll be all right, and you're the reason
Oh, I can feel it: we're moving in a new direction
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me into a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
And it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Said, it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Oh
Where would I be, where would I be
Without you by my side?
Where would I be, where would I be
Without you standing by?
Makes me wanna (pray)
Makes me need to (pray)
When I'm feeling low and all alone
You're the light in my day, yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
I got it bad in a serious way, oh yeah
(Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Your love has brought me into a higher place, oh yeah
(Who knew, who knew)
It'd be you to restore my faith?
Everyday, I'm amazed
'Cause it makes me wanna get down and pray
'Cause it makes me wanna get down and pray
Makes me wanna get down and pray
Woo, thank you father!
Wanna lift my hands up and pray
'Cause every time I'm hearing your name
Wanna reach out and rejoice
Sound of your voice, yeah
Hey, yeah
All right
That's it
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced 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 really like this song, and the funky gospel-ish feel it has got to it, makes it very catchy! As for the meaning, I don't think it is about Christina having lost her faith. The line "Who knew? Who knew? It'd be you to restore my faith..." I think rather indicates that she has regained her faith. To be honest, I don't know much about Christina's personal beliefs. However, while this song might be using religious images to illustrate the love she feels for the man in her life, I think it has a double meaning: Her boyfriend/husband (I don't know) has made her more secure of the fact that there is a greater good, and God has given her the chance to meet this man and let them fall in love. So, my interpretation is that it's both a lovesong to God and her boyfriend.