"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.
Let me hold you
For the last time
It's the last chance to feel again
But you broke me
Now I can't feel anything
When I love you
It's so untrue
I can't even convince myself
When I'm speaking
It's the voice of someone else
Whoa it tears me up
I try to hold on, but it hurts too much
I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Oh the truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
Oh what are we doing
We are turning into dust
Playing house in the ruins of us
Running back through the fire
When there's nothing left to save
It's like chasing the very last train when it's too late (too late)
Oh it tears me up
I try to hold on, but it hurts too much
I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Well the truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
But we're running through the fire
When there's nothing left to save
It's like chasing the very last train
When we both know it's too late (too late)
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Well truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
Oh you know that I love you a little less than before
Let me hold you for the last time
It's the last chance to feel again
For the last time
It's the last chance to feel again
But you broke me
Now I can't feel anything
When I love you
It's so untrue
I can't even convince myself
When I'm speaking
It's the voice of someone else
Whoa it tears me up
I try to hold on, but it hurts too much
I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Oh the truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
Oh what are we doing
We are turning into dust
Playing house in the ruins of us
Running back through the fire
When there's nothing left to save
It's like chasing the very last train when it's too late (too late)
Oh it tears me up
I try to hold on, but it hurts too much
I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Well the truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
But we're running through the fire
When there's nothing left to save
It's like chasing the very last train
When we both know it's too late (too late)
You can't play on broken strings
You can't feel anything that your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real
Well truth hurts
And lies worse
How can I give anymore
When I love you a little less than before
Oh you know that I love you a little less than before
Let me hold you for the last time
It's the last chance to feel again
Lyrics submitted by ROCKINZOMBIE
Broken Strings Lyrics as written by James Catchpole Fraser Thorneycroft Smith
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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.
this song is definatly the saddest song I've heard in a long time. The lyrics are so real and raw and I can't listen to the song without wanting to cry. This is what happened with me and my ex, we'd been together for 4 years and then we realised enough was enough. I don't think the song is about cheating but I can understand why people may see it like that because of the line; "But you broke me, now I can't feel anything." I think this song is more about a long relationship where nothing in particular has gone wrong, they've just slowly drifted apart and are falling out of love. They don't want to admit it because they're remembering the love they once had but the longer they lie to themselves the worse it's going to get, hence the lyric "The truth hurts, lies worse" It's their way of telling each other that although it hurts to admit that they're falling out of love, in the long run it'd be better than a lie. This just seriousley reflects mine and my ex's relationship and it is a sad thing. People do fall out of love and grow apart and sometimes it's too late to fix it like in this song. I really do give a thumbs up to James Morrison as this really is the most moving song I have heard in a long while.