"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.
You took the tunnel route home,
you've never taken that way with me before.
Did you feel the need for change?
Apologies on your fingernails,
love flickered in the city of lights,
Like good singers on radio waves
I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home.
And I feel like I'm breaking up,
and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside,
don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me,
I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us
You went where the horses cry,
you've never taken that way with me before.
Did you feel the need for change?
Guilt smeared across your lips,
I was tired and cold from the window
You're cold, nothing has changed.
I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home.
And I feel like I'm breaking up,
and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside,
don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me,
I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us
you've never taken that way with me before.
Did you feel the need for change?
Apologies on your fingernails,
love flickered in the city of lights,
Like good singers on radio waves
I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home.
And I feel like I'm breaking up,
and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside,
don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me,
I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us
You went where the horses cry,
you've never taken that way with me before.
Did you feel the need for change?
Guilt smeared across your lips,
I was tired and cold from the window
You're cold, nothing has changed.
I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home.
And I feel like I'm breaking up,
and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside,
don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me,
I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us
Lyrics submitted by thebackroom, edited by EternalTearsOfSorrow
Peace & Quiet Lyrics as written by Harry Mcveigh Charles Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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@[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
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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“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
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.
Amazing song <3
"After the red ants, the black-out come peace and quiet Those little foot-prints fleshed out calm in my mind I lay like a compass, digits accusing the sunrise Rain-drops abseil the window and flinch through the hurt cries"
I have a feeling the "red ants" might be a bar or club of some sort and hes talking about coming home wasted, blacking out from too much alcohol. The digits refer to a digital clock and how the time is nearing morning when the sun is about to rise. The bit about raindrops is self explanitory.
"After the hunt and the sweat now come peace and quiet Your head on my heart anchored the storm in my eyes"
This line is clearly about after sex and the person has their head on his chest.
"I lay like a carcass, your lips never letting the blood dry And so I pray for tomorrow and wait listening out for a reply"
The person then leaves prematurely leaving them feel dead and alone like a carcass and they are awaiting a phonecall or text message the day after from them.
Thats my interpretation anyway but could be wrong!
After the red ants, the black-out, come peace and quiet Those little footprints fleshed out calm in my mind I lay like a compass, digits accusing the sunrise Raindrops abseil the window and flinch through the hurt cries
I feel this great pressure coming down on me And the tide of my bliss pulling at your sympathy I feel this great pressure coming down on me (when my nerve's on the high wire) My bliss pulling at your sympathy
After the hunt and the sweat, now come peace and quiet Your head on my heart anchored the storm in my eyes I lay like a carcass, your lips never letting the blood dry And so I pray for tomorrow and wait, listening out for a reply
I feel this great pressure coming down on me And the tide of my bliss pulling at your sympathy I feel this great pressure coming down on me (when my nerve's on the high wire) My bliss pulling at your sympathy
I feel this great pressure coming down on me And the tide of my bliss pulling at your sympathy I feel this great pressure coming down on me (when my nerve's on the high wire) My bliss pulling at your sympathy
I think Suzie might have the right idea lyrically or the song could be about someone who's in a love/hate type romantic relationship where every fight they have after they make up it's all blissful and perfect but they know there's another storm or fight coming up so they await the next breakdown. They're fights are angry like red ants and the blackout is when he drinks so much he blacksout cause the fight is so tumultuous. The peace & quite is like the calm once they make up while also symbolizing the calm before the next storm or fight.
This is their Tears for Fears song :-)
I am a simple person so I guess this song is about dying after being bitten by a swarm of red ants.
Is the 1st line correct? When I 1st heard it I thought the lyrics were 'After the red hands'. This would make more sense, although all the lyric websites seem to use ants as the lyric.
I think this song is about about someone murdering another person. Although there's no explanation in the song to why...
I think when he says "After the red ants" he's referring to a digital clock. Like, the numbers are made out of more than one dash to make up one number. If the digital clock has a red glow interface so you can see the time in the dark... well, it's a bunch of little red dashes (or ants) that make up the time. I believe that is what he is talking about, looking at a clock. Haha.