"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.
They take advantage of him all of the time
Their fingers rape his cavities
Proven for a hidden cliche'
He's a fruit that got in gravity's way
He's the first to tell you he's full of shit
Like that's half a compliment for men
Though hes waking up in puddles of piss
He marinates his metaphors in them
[Chorus]
And in this moment
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
They'll be falling in love
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
She takes photographs of people she knows
She brings out the best and worst in them
And God is buried deep in the folds
Of her fractured self and the lies that they've told
She used to laugh at everything old
It was a joke that never aged a bit
But when they robbed her of her infinite smile
She said maybe I'll just play dead for a while
[Chorus]
I'm right here and I must admit
I've been pining for you
Your my wish
When I touch my self I am conjuring you
From when we talk all night and the minutes are free
I just hope when I cast my spell you'll be falling for me
Because
Falling in love could be the first thing
Falling in love could be the worst thing
Falling in love there's no rehearsing
Retarded in love
Their fingers rape his cavities
Proven for a hidden cliche'
He's a fruit that got in gravity's way
He's the first to tell you he's full of shit
Like that's half a compliment for men
Though hes waking up in puddles of piss
He marinates his metaphors in them
[Chorus]
And in this moment
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
They'll be falling in love
La, lalaladada, lalaladada, lalaladada
She takes photographs of people she knows
She brings out the best and worst in them
And God is buried deep in the folds
Of her fractured self and the lies that they've told
She used to laugh at everything old
It was a joke that never aged a bit
But when they robbed her of her infinite smile
She said maybe I'll just play dead for a while
[Chorus]
I'm right here and I must admit
I've been pining for you
Your my wish
When I touch my self I am conjuring you
From when we talk all night and the minutes are free
I just hope when I cast my spell you'll be falling for me
Because
Falling in love could be the first thing
Falling in love could be the worst thing
Falling in love there's no rehearsing
Retarded in love
Lyrics submitted by jusgrimey, edited by sirludwigvanbiffington
Retarded in Love Lyrics as written by Max Bemis
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Retarded in Love (feat. Casey Prestwood, Chris Carrabba & Michael Auerbach) song meanings
Add Your Thoughts
32 Comments
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
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.
this song always reminds me of Scratched Out by The Matches.