"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 have no space
No room to move around
And this box is getting smaller
I'm trying to get out
How did I get so far
From where I was
When did I decide
To lose my way
Who have I become
I've got a new low
All 52 cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go
Well who am I?
A cold shoulder left to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I can not help feeling like
I have so much at stake
So I lock myself inside my head
And I just run in place
So many directions I don't
Know which way to go
I'm so busy doing nothing
I got nothing to show
I've got a new low
All 52 cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go
Well who am I?
A cold shoulder used to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I make mistakes
Just like everybody else
But instead of letting go of it
I can't forgive myself
Well I did my time
In a windowless box
Like it or not
All I got now is today
Tomorrow ain't here
And yesterday has gone dead on me anyway
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
No room to move around
And this box is getting smaller
I'm trying to get out
How did I get so far
From where I was
When did I decide
To lose my way
Who have I become
I've got a new low
All 52 cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go
Well who am I?
A cold shoulder left to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I can not help feeling like
I have so much at stake
So I lock myself inside my head
And I just run in place
So many directions I don't
Know which way to go
I'm so busy doing nothing
I got nothing to show
I've got a new low
All 52 cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go
Well who am I?
A cold shoulder used to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I make mistakes
Just like everybody else
But instead of letting go of it
I can't forgive myself
Well I did my time
In a windowless box
Like it or not
All I got now is today
Tomorrow ain't here
And yesterday has gone dead on me anyway
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right; I've been left
I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
Lyrics submitted by MF2007, edited by allisonvdb, SJW4216, soulmite3, VenussBlue
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Fast Car
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“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 would have to be one of my favorites...i've been to several of their concerts at The Boardwalk [in Orangevale, CA] (might i mention that this is a two-man band??? =] ) it can have a few different meanings. from the part:
"I have no space, no room to move around And this box is getting smaller I'm trying to get out
How did I get so far from where I was? When did I decide to lose my way? Who have I become?"
i get that it's about someone being under pressure and getting so caught up in it that they lose who they really are. they dont know who they are anymore.
"I can not help feeling like I have so much at steak So I lock myself inside my head And I just run in place"
maybe this is the only place they can be free [in their head]
can't wait to hear this one live again. =]