"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.
I long for the summer
I long for the sun, gently touching my face
I'll open my eyes, let it burn every splinter
Unleash desert storms on its way to my heart
And I had this coming every day of my life
This is where I stop fighting, eyes open wide
You took this blade and cut a wreck
And in one blow laid bare your neck
Where did we go wrong?
I once had blue eyes, hungry and wise
Now they are black from this dark age of lies
We're all privatized, industrialized
We capitalize on the beams in our eyes
It's all in the eyes
Eyes, tearing with sorrow
Burning with anger and passion and lust
The swift wind of thought
Of wildness and laughter
The soil of defiance
The firm ground of trust
(We had this coming, every day of our lives)
(We should start fighting for eyes open wide)
But I am put here, in this world gone insane
Where everything's for sale
From nature, over stars down to DNA
Then I can gladly say
That I'd be the first to break that norm
Any day, any way
And the last to join the ranks
To hunt down the Daily Threat
Or any other brand of prey
You took this blade and cut a wreck
And in one blow laid bare your neck
Where did we go wrong?
We once had blue eyes, probing the skies
Now they are blackened from this modern life
All privatized, industrialized, a failure
Offensive and sore to the eye
One small step for man
Maybe this time I'll fly
And if I hit the ground, it's the way we all die
We are wrecks of the cut
Soups of the season
With dollar sign scars
From this dark age of treason
We all know how to cry
Then we learn how to smile
How to smile
We're all telling the truth
Tell us the truth!
Then we learn how to lie
And oh, how we lie
Now we lie
When you bow your heads tomorrow
At the world we build today
I want you to remember
That I stood my ground and said no (say no)
I said no,
Say no!
I long for the sun, gently touching my face
I'll open my eyes, let it burn every splinter
Unleash desert storms on its way to my heart
And I had this coming every day of my life
This is where I stop fighting, eyes open wide
You took this blade and cut a wreck
And in one blow laid bare your neck
Where did we go wrong?
I once had blue eyes, hungry and wise
Now they are black from this dark age of lies
We're all privatized, industrialized
We capitalize on the beams in our eyes
It's all in the eyes
Eyes, tearing with sorrow
Burning with anger and passion and lust
The swift wind of thought
Of wildness and laughter
The soil of defiance
The firm ground of trust
(We had this coming, every day of our lives)
(We should start fighting for eyes open wide)
But I am put here, in this world gone insane
Where everything's for sale
From nature, over stars down to DNA
Then I can gladly say
That I'd be the first to break that norm
Any day, any way
And the last to join the ranks
To hunt down the Daily Threat
Or any other brand of prey
You took this blade and cut a wreck
And in one blow laid bare your neck
Where did we go wrong?
We once had blue eyes, probing the skies
Now they are blackened from this modern life
All privatized, industrialized, a failure
Offensive and sore to the eye
One small step for man
Maybe this time I'll fly
And if I hit the ground, it's the way we all die
We are wrecks of the cut
Soups of the season
With dollar sign scars
From this dark age of treason
We all know how to cry
Then we learn how to smile
How to smile
We're all telling the truth
Tell us the truth!
Then we learn how to lie
And oh, how we lie
Now we lie
When you bow your heads tomorrow
At the world we build today
I want you to remember
That I stood my ground and said no (say no)
I said no,
Say no!
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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.
It seems to me like someone (probably "He") is going to commit suicide here. It's enforced with lyrics like:
"One small step for man Maybe this time I'll fly And if I hit the ground, it's the way we all die"
There's a photo in the the album booklet of feet on the edge of a roof, and another of a man falling.
In 'Enter Rain', I believe "He" finally jumps.