"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.
Lyin' here staring at the ceiling again
Watch the world go by, world go by
Ready-made and answers never seem to combine
In the corners they hide, corners they hide
Stories to be told reelin' round in my head
They won't let me rest, won't let me rest
Really all I wanna do is lay in bed
Never can though I try, really do try
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Watch the lights flicker on the TV screen
But they don't make a sound, don't make a sound
Makin' my way through the maze of this dream
And I'll try to break down, try to break down
Walking down the street like I'm ten feet tall
'cause I'm making my way, making my way
Try to keep this feeling so I won't lose my steam
So they won't tear me down, won't tear me down
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Lyin' here staring at the ceiling again
Watch the world go by, world go by
Ready-made and answers never seem to combine
In the corners they hide, corners they hide
Stories to be told reelin' round in my head
They won't let me rest, won't let me rest
Really all I wanna do is lay in bed
Never can though I try, I really do try
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Can't I be?
I'm more than enough
You'll see
You'll be enough
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Watch the world go by, world go by
Ready-made and answers never seem to combine
In the corners they hide, corners they hide
Stories to be told reelin' round in my head
They won't let me rest, won't let me rest
Really all I wanna do is lay in bed
Never can though I try, really do try
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Watch the lights flicker on the TV screen
But they don't make a sound, don't make a sound
Makin' my way through the maze of this dream
And I'll try to break down, try to break down
Walking down the street like I'm ten feet tall
'cause I'm making my way, making my way
Try to keep this feeling so I won't lose my steam
So they won't tear me down, won't tear me down
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Lyin' here staring at the ceiling again
Watch the world go by, world go by
Ready-made and answers never seem to combine
In the corners they hide, corners they hide
Stories to be told reelin' round in my head
They won't let me rest, won't let me rest
Really all I wanna do is lay in bed
Never can though I try, I really do try
And you see
It's never enough
To be
Is it ever enough?
Can't I be?
I'm more than enough
You'll see
You'll be enough
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Every day, take it all day
Make it your way
Let your story begin
Lyrics submitted by TheSatah
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
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.