"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.
There was a man back in '95
Whose heart ran out of summers
But before he died, I asked him
Wait, what's the sense in life?
Come over me, come over me
He said
Son, why you gotta sing that tune?
Catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon
Let an angel swing and make you swoon
Then you will see, you will see
Then he said
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
Picked up my kid from school today
Did you learn anything 'causin' the world today
You can't live in a castle far away
Now talk to me, come talk to me
He said
Dad, I'm big, but we're smaller than small
In the scheme of things, well, we're nothing at all
Still every mother's child sings a lonely song
So play with me, come play with me
And, hey, dad
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
I said
Son, for all I've told you
When you get right down to the
Reason for the world
Who am I?
There are secrets that we still have left to find
There have been mysteries from the beginning of time
There are answers we're not wise enough to see
He said
You looking for a clue
I love you free
The batter swings and the summer flies
As I look into my angel's eyes
A song plays on while the moon is high over me
Something comes over me
I guess we're big, and I guess we're small
If you think about it, man, you know we got it all
'Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball
And I love you free
I love you freely
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
Whose heart ran out of summers
But before he died, I asked him
Wait, what's the sense in life?
Come over me, come over me
He said
Son, why you gotta sing that tune?
Catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon
Let an angel swing and make you swoon
Then you will see, you will see
Then he said
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
Picked up my kid from school today
Did you learn anything 'causin' the world today
You can't live in a castle far away
Now talk to me, come talk to me
He said
Dad, I'm big, but we're smaller than small
In the scheme of things, well, we're nothing at all
Still every mother's child sings a lonely song
So play with me, come play with me
And, hey, dad
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
I said
Son, for all I've told you
When you get right down to the
Reason for the world
Who am I?
There are secrets that we still have left to find
There have been mysteries from the beginning of time
There are answers we're not wise enough to see
He said
You looking for a clue
I love you free
The batter swings and the summer flies
As I look into my angel's eyes
A song plays on while the moon is high over me
Something comes over me
I guess we're big, and I guess we're small
If you think about it, man, you know we got it all
'Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball
And I love you free
I love you freely
Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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/
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.
--Here's my take. The reason is embedded in the riddle. "You and I". The connections and love between people and the universe.
There was a man back in '95 Whose heart ran out of summers (amazing lyric!) But before he died, I asked him Wait, what's the sense in life? Come over me, come over me
He said Son, why you got to sing that tune? Catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon (awesome!) Let an angel swing and make you swoon Then you will see, you will see
Then he said Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
--His dad is telling him to stop over-thinking the meaning of life and enjoy it. A Dylan song, a lunar eclipse, or being present and enjoying the last minutes of life with his father. Meaningful connections to the people and world around you.
Picked up my kid from school today Did you learn anything causin' the world today You can't live in a castle far away Now talk to me, come talk to me
He said Dad, I'm big, but we're smaller than small (my son would say this :-)) In the scheme of things, well, we're nothing at all Still every mother's child sings a lonely song So play with me, come play with me
And, hey, dad Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
I said Son, for all I've told you When you get right down to the Reason for the world Who am I?
There are secrets that we still have left to find There have been mysteries from the beginning of time There are answers we're not wise enough to see
--The author/singer is still not getting it. Life is so complex, who am i? what's the reason for life? This riddle is complicated. I can't figure it out!
He said You looking for a clue I love you free (bring on the tears)
The batter swings and the summer flies As I look into my angel's eyes A song plays on while the moon is high over me Something comes over me
I guess we're big, and I guess we're small If you think about it, man, you know we got it all 'Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball And I love you free I love you freely
Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
-- Now the author is repeating the riddle. Challenging us to understand. The world is here for us to enjoy and connect with each other in deep meaningful ways. The deep loving connection we make, whether it's to a Dylan song, a Five for Fighting song, a child, a parent, a partner, or a stranger are the reason for the world, the universe, and for existence.
@ferb1234 Thank you so much for this lovely interpretation! And especially, thank you for crying with me. Just when my tears started flowing, you wrote "Bring on the tears." That really helped.
It's about a father teaching his child about love before he dies. The answer to the riddle is that love is the meaning of the world.
The song starts off with a man with his dying father. Just before he dies, the son asks him, what is the meaning of this world. His father tells him when he listens to a great song, sees an eclipse of the moon, or looks into a beatiful person's eyes and falls in love, he won't need to ask that question ever again.
Years later when he picks up his son from school, his son asks him about the meaning of life, and how they are so small. His father tells him a hint to the riddle, and that is, I love you for free.
His wife or "angel" is there with him and he realizes his relationship with people, his life, and all that is wonderful that he experiences is good in life.
Good song.
The answer to the riddle is so simple it can so easily be overlooked. NOW is all we have. The past is just a dream and the future is a fantasy filled with hope and fear. It doesn't take much to realize that memories of the past and expectations of the future take place in the one eternal moment .Future and past are just concepts we create to PLAY this game of life. "Who am I?" is a question that can never be answered because our sense of who we are is constantly changing. In Zen the question is answered with silence. Roaring echoes of silence. That is why I think in the song You and I are followed by ...
this song is amazing... pure and simple.
for those of you that asked what the riddle was, i believe it is one of two things.
the lyrics When you get right down to the Reason for the world... Who am I? can be interpreted into two questions, what is the reason for the world? or who am i?
this song really struck a chord with me because any listener could take and ask himself those questions every day and never come up with an answer. and throughout the song the old man, the child, and the middleaged man are all looking for answer to the same question, and none of them have it.
Beautiful, beautiful song! We ask ourselves important philosophical questions at certain times in our lives - when a parent dies we ask, what was it all worth? Why are we here? My beloved mother died, and did all of the love that was stored up between us mean anything? When we have children we ask, why? It is a lot easier not to have them, but they teach us to question the reason we are here, and they teach us to love unconditionally. The philosopher in this song asks two questions: "What is the reason for the world?", and "who am I in the world?". Those are important questions to ask, and I think the whole reason we are in this world is to answer them. If we rely on schools and science, we deal with hard facts, but we feel much more than that "we are big and we are smaller than small". Things like songs, friendships, and other wonderful things that happen to us give us feelings (like love, wonder) that open a window to another dimension that we can't see with our eyes, but we feel with our hearts. For me, the answer to the question, "what is the reason for the world?" is that we are placed here to learn to love each other, and ultimately learn to love God. My own answer to the question, "who am I?" is that I am here to help reflect God's love for all of humanity by loving and caring for others. Just my opinion:)
There's a reason for the world, This is the actual riddle, not the next part You and I This is the answer, meaning that the only reason and meaning to the world is the love you share with those close to you.
Wow... this is inexplicable... so strong and meaningful... so beautiful... it's truly amazing. Obviously, I just have to solve this 'riddle' about the meaning of life. It's a complicated and there is surely more than one answer- but here is a definite view of this riddle.
"Dad I'm big but we're smaller than small In the scheme of things, well we're nothing at all."
Well, I think he's talking about view and perspective. Maybe he means compared to other we're big- but compared to what's out in the world we are very small.
"Still every mother's child sings a lonely song So play with me, come play with me"
Every mother's child sings a lonely song... hmm... hard to say. I believe it may be that at one point, we are all lonely deep down. So play with me, this means that I'm not lonely by you. I think...?
"Son for all I've told you When you get right down to the Reason for the world... Who am I?"
Basically, a reason for the world- a purpose of life- is who are you? Finding an identity of your own and not being of sameness but being unique in your own way.
"There are secrets that we still have left to find There have been mysteries from the beginning of time There are answers we're not wise enough to see."
This defines much of the song, actually. What he's saying is- no matter how much we dig down- no matter how much we believe we understand, there will always be more, and there will always be something bigger than you and more secrets and discoveries to find.
"The batter swings and the summer flies As I look into my angel's eyes A song plays on while the moon is hiding over me Something comes over me."
Alright, first- the batter swings and the summer flies. This merely represents the passing of time and chronological succession. In essence- nothing stays in place, everything changes. By "his angel" he means a daughter or a wife. As he looks into her eyes, something comes over me. I believe this may mean- a.) Death. He's pleased by the last sight of his true love and passes on. b.) He looks into her eyes and he feels the greatest feeling of intense serenity and joy.
"I guess we're big and I guess we're small If you think about it man you know we got it all Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball And I love you free I love you freely."
Hmm... big and small. This means- we are- everything. We can be good, bad. Brave, cowardly. Smart, dumb. Strong, weak. Serene, violent, everything. Humans in nature- can be anything, it's determined by how life works and their experiences. And this big bouncing ball- is our Earth, our home. And I love you free- it means that- love happens. It isn't decided, it isn't controlled. It happens, and when it does, it's true miracle.
So- the question is, what is the answer? Personally, I believe the answer is nothing, because it is everything. It tells about every aspect of life and your time with it. It tells how you may be big but our universe is much bigger. How life is a search for an identity- something that everybody has and needs- a uniqueness, it tells of love and it's strength and passion, and the miracles that cause and are produced from it. It tells of humans' variety of races and personality, and how each one is, even by a little bit, different than any other. It tells of time, its passing- and its indefeasibly. And so much more- the answer to riddle is everything.
It's a beautiful song and among the true greatest song of our fabric of time and history. I want it to play at my own wedding.
There was a man back in '95 Whose heart ran out of summers But before he died, I asked him Wait, what's the sense in life? Come over me, come over me
-- The narrator is talking about likely about his father, who is about to leave him. The though of losing someone we've had all our life makes the narrator question what the purpose of life is.
He said Son, why you got to sing that tune? Catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon Let an angel swing and make you swoon Then you will see, you will see
-- The father reassures the narrator that all is okay, and suggests that he go see a miracle of nature or fall in love to understand how special life is. This will help answer his question.
Then he said Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
-- The father challenges the narrator to think about why they are here. The riddle is the answer, the father is telling him that the bond between them (Love) is the answer.
Picked up my kid from school today Did you learn anything causin' the world today You can't live in a castle far away Now talk to me, come talk to me
--Now the Narrator is in his fathers position with with his child looking up to him. His question to his child suggests that he is a logical man and may have trouble understanding/believing the meaning of life
He said Dad, I'm big, but we're smaller than small In the scheme of things, well, we're nothing at all Still every mother's child sings a lonely song So play with me, come play with me
-- The child, like his grandfather, understands the meaning of life. However the narrator still doesn't. The child knows were tiny in this world, but we can make it count. The last two lines refer to the fact that everyone will face a time when their parents are no longer there, "so play with me" and take advantage of this time now.
And, hey, dad Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
-- Again, the child understands the purpose. He attempts to also explain to his father.
I said Son, for all I've told you When you get right down to the Reason for the world Who am I?
There are secrets that we still have left to find There have been mysteries from the beginning of time There are answers we're not wise enough to see
-- This is likely the son telling the father that there will never be a perfect answer to the meaning of life, and there probably never will be. "God" isn't going to come and tell you. Humans have always struggled with this and always will. The father just needs to appreciate life and love.
He said You looking for a clue I love you free
-- The son attempts to explain to his father. "i love you free" Instead of simply "I love you" probably suggests that love isn't destiny, and can not be controlled, it is a beautiful miracle.
The batter swings and the summer flies As I look into my angel's eyes A song plays on while the moon is high over me Something comes over me
-- as he stares at the love of his life (likely meaning wife), he suddenly understands.
I guess we're big, and I guess we're small If you think about it, man, you know we got it all 'Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball And I love you free I love you freely
-- He understands that in this universe we are tiny, but to each other they are everything. Because they love each other they have everything they could ever want.
Here's a riddle for you Find the answer There's a reason for the world You and I
-- The narrator has solved the riddle
This is off his new album, 'Two Lights', to be released on august 1st 2006. Can't wait. It's a fantastic song about the meaning of life with good generation links