"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.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me have you seen the girl,
I met just once before?
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
To put my head in a mess.
Is that you on the bus?
Is that you on the train?
You wrote your number on my hand,
But it came off in the rain.
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
Has left my bed in a mess.
Is that you on the bus?
Is that you on the train?
You wrote your number on my hand,
But it came off in the rain.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me have you seen the girl,
I met just once before?
Young love, it never seems to last,
Far too young, until they have a past.
Playing games, people move so fast,
You don't need eyes to see if someone's got a heart of glass.
Young love, it never seems to last,
Far too young, until they have a past.
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
Left my heart in a mess.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me, have you seen the boy,
I met just once before?
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me have you seen the girl,
I met just once before?
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
To put my head in a mess.
Is that you on the bus?
Is that you on the train?
You wrote your number on my hand,
But it came off in the rain.
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
Has left my bed in a mess.
Is that you on the bus?
Is that you on the train?
You wrote your number on my hand,
But it came off in the rain.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me have you seen the girl,
I met just once before?
Young love, it never seems to last,
Far too young, until they have a past.
Playing games, people move so fast,
You don't need eyes to see if someone's got a heart of glass.
Young love, it never seems to last,
Far too young, until they have a past.
One night of love,
Nothing more, nothing less.
One night of love,
Left my heart in a mess.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Searching on the crowded streets,
For the face that I once saw.
If I only knew your name,
I'd go from door to door.
Tell me, have you seen the boy,
I met just once before?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
hmmmmmmmm what could this song possibly be about
it features Laura Marling, yes...
this song makes me so happy. feels quite summery don't you think?
the breakfast presenters on Triple J were talking about how it's the 21st Century version of Cinderella, like someone trying to find the matching rash after a one night stand. Lol.
nice to hear Will singing for a change too
young love never seems to left ^ i think laura says last rather than left it would make a lot more sense hahah
i love this tune regardless. :)
"young love never seems to last far too young until they have a past"
isn't it: "young love never seems to last hearts are young until they have a past."
Laura vocals are epic.
yes i agree...
i am thinking that it was just a random one night stand that neither of them thought anything of at first but then they cannot seem to get this person out of their head .. x
choooooooooon!
trying to find the person they had a one night stand with... mint :)
I cannot wait for this album to drop in the united states, omg. I listen to this song on repeat--so catchy! Just like You Can't Fool me Dennis
Her name is Laura Marling. Hope this helps.