"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 was a different man, if I had the blood in my eyes
I could have read of your heart, I could have read of your heart
Now I'm lonely instead, I pick up a fight
So pick up your battering ram, I want to see it
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
And maybe I'm talking too fast
And maybe I'm talking too much
Give me the sensitive laugh
Don't give me the sensitive touch
Even if I could have kissed
And even if I could be the blood
I'm so sorry, I'll try love, I want to see it
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
I could have read of your heart, I could have read of your heart
Now I'm lonely instead, I pick up a fight
So pick up your battering ram, I want to see it
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
And maybe I'm talking too fast
And maybe I'm talking too much
Give me the sensitive laugh
Don't give me the sensitive touch
Even if I could have kissed
And even if I could be the blood
I'm so sorry, I'll try love, I want to see it
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that
There's too much, too much, too much love
There's too much riding on that way
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
Great new song by Sufjan, can't wait to see what his next album looks like. Too me the song is some what self-explanatory but with a couple of deeper meanings underneath the veneer. For the most part it seems like its a male scared of love or to love, and says that there is too much love as an excuse, but I could be wrong.
BTW, first comment