"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've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
Ooh ooh ooh (I'd try anything, to get you off my mind)
We used to climb Primrose Hill
When it was just the two of us
We used to run up the stairs
On the double-decker bus
And oh, I can't do that anymore
No, it just reminds me of before
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
I see a girl across the street
On a sunny afternoon
And if I look through half-closed eyes
She looks a bit like you
Oh, it just reminds me of before
No, I can't do that anymore
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
All my days are messed up
Can't break down, can't break up
Sleepless nights that never end
I wish I could pretend
Oh, I can't do this anymore
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
Ooh ooh ooh (Anything anything baby, to get you off my mind)
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
Ooh ooh ooh (I'd try anything, to get you off my mind)
We used to climb Primrose Hill
When it was just the two of us
We used to run up the stairs
On the double-decker bus
And oh, I can't do that anymore
No, it just reminds me of before
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
I see a girl across the street
On a sunny afternoon
And if I look through half-closed eyes
She looks a bit like you
Oh, it just reminds me of before
No, I can't do that anymore
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
All my days are messed up
Can't break down, can't break up
Sleepless nights that never end
I wish I could pretend
Oh, I can't do this anymore
I've tried everything,
To get you off my mind
I've been running 'round,
Breaking things, getting into fights
I don't know what it takes
Ooh, I wish I didn't have to think of us
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
Ooh ooh ooh (Anything anything baby, to get you off my mind)
I've tried everything,
And everything is not enough
Lyrics submitted by joshxskatesxword
I've Tried Everything Lyrics as written by Martin Brammer Adam Stuart Argyle
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, COPYRIGHT ADMIN SERVICES LTD
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
amazing song...i love and share his view point on the way to live life