"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.
Madly In Love With You
See you down there everyday
Trying to find a different way
To build some kind of latter to the sky
Trying to find some way to see
Secrets of eternity, and they don’t come all at once
And you don’t know why
Well how do you think it feels to hear you screaming out my name
While all the while I’m trying to open up your heart
See you when you cry yourself to sleep
It’s tearing me apart
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
don’t you lose your faith in me
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
I know that you’re waiting for,
A chance to come in from the war
If only a moment, if only a day
A place where you feel safe and warm
A sanctuary from the storm
Until all of these questions fade away
But I cannot count on all the signs
You’ve passed away as mere coincidence
And im running out of ways to break through
Like a lonely lover, Waiting by the ocean
Ill never give up on you
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
Don’t you lose your faith in me
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
See you down there everyday
Trying to find a different way
To build some kind of latter to the sky
Trying to find some way to see
Secrets of eternity, and they don’t come all at once
And you don’t know why
Well how do you think it feels to hear you screaming out my name
While all the while I’m trying to open up your heart
See you when you cry yourself to sleep
It’s tearing me apart
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
don’t you lose your faith in me
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
I know that you’re waiting for,
A chance to come in from the war
If only a moment, if only a day
A place where you feel safe and warm
A sanctuary from the storm
Until all of these questions fade away
But I cannot count on all the signs
You’ve passed away as mere coincidence
And im running out of ways to break through
Like a lonely lover, Waiting by the ocean
Ill never give up on you
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
Don’t you lose your faith in me
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Lyrics submitted by dmben89
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
This song is about the false searching for God that I do. About the stupid ladders that I try to build to the sky in order to find Him there. But the Tower of Babel fell the first time and mine isn't any more structurally sound. My ladders only help me climb away from God. But I'm too engrossed in my own cleverness to realize that, so I keep on adding to the ladder, rung after rung. Then, when it's not working, I get frustrated with God. I'm not figuring out anything. These secrets of eternity aren't coming all at once and I don't know why. So I blame God for keeping His distance. It’s funny how I neglected to count the rungs on my ladder as I added them. How long have I been screaming out His name, asking for something more when really He's given me all I need? And He has. He always does. So He hears me screaming and sees me crying in my confusion and doubt. And it PAINS Him. It PIERCES Him...didn't He willingly undergo enough piercing on my behalf already? Yah, I thought so...but how did this nail and hammer appear in my hand? Why am I standing in front of this cross that holds a beautiful, naked, whipped man while His blood rests graciously on my own hand? My very own hand that trembles and cramps from all the times I've pounded those nails through His body. I keep building my ladder longer. But He's still trying to open my heart. I'm so dependent on the senses He gave me! I can't figure out how to see Him without my eyes! But THAT's why faith exists. “That's so stupid,” I say, “It'd be so much easier if He'd just walk with us. Everyone would believe in Him, and there'd be none of this religious warfare all the time.” DON'T YOU LOSE YOUR FAITH IN ME!!! Don't you DARE! I've been here the whole time! Your pride and selfishness and sin create the lens you view Me through! Sure, it's hard to understand, but that's the way it has to be. I never told you it'd be easy. Not once. Don't...you...DARE lose your faith in Me. I'm madly in love with you. Those stupid eyes I gave you keep you so blind to My signs. All you wanna see is your own success and accomplishment. Am I not the one who gives that to you? You're like water, always taking the path of least resistance. I put up a sign, a barrier, an obstacle that'll lead you to Me. And what do you do? You take the path of least resistance. You turn to the left or right and keep meandering along, thinking you're on your way to Me. You're so blind. I'm God and I can't break through. But I'm the most faithful friend you'll ever find. I'll wait for you until you're at your last. I'll wait with arms open, tears in My eyes, and your name on My lips. Your name. I may be the only one that ever waited for you your entire life, but I've been waiting for you ever since I thought of creating you. And I would wait a thousand times longer than that. I will never give up on you. I will NEVER give up on you. I'm relentless. I'm recklessly devoted to pursuing you. Don't you dare lose your faith in Me. Because I'm madly in love with you. These words, these symbols on your screen - they are too weak a vessel to possibly describe my love for you. They hold no emotion. They're chemicals reacting with light. My love for you is greater than heaven's might, the sun's brightness, the moon's whiteness, fire's heat, lightning's fierceness, the oceans' depths, and the earth's firmness. Greater than all of those is My love for you. I'm madly in love with you.
Great reflection Brother, very powerful