"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.
I'm sick and tired of the way that I feel,
I'm sick of dreaming and its never for real.
I'm all alone with my deep thoughts.
I'm all alone with my heartache and my good intentions.
I work to eat and drink and sleep just to live,
Feels like I'm never getting back what I give.
Ive got a sad song in my sweet heart.
And all I really ever need is some love and attention
And I don't want to cry my whole life through,
I want to do some laughing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two,
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes sugar, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes baby, you just need someone else.
And I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes honey, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes darling, you just need someone else.
And I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
I'm sick of dreaming and its never for real.
I'm all alone with my deep thoughts.
I'm all alone with my heartache and my good intentions.
I work to eat and drink and sleep just to live,
Feels like I'm never getting back what I give.
Ive got a sad song in my sweet heart.
And all I really ever need is some love and attention
And I don't want to cry my whole life through,
I want to do some laughing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two,
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes sugar, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes baby, you just need someone else.
And I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes honey, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes darling, you just need someone else.
And I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two
Yeah, I want to do some dancing too
So come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.
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
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.
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.
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.
Does anyone ever try to state what they feel what the song meaning on songmeanings.net anymore? Seems to me he is a failure at getting chicks he digs to sig him. Then he disparrages chicks that don't like him and tell them what they are doing wrong. He is singing not so much an argunment, but trying to translate an emotion lyrically. Emotions don't translate well. Brilliant song.