"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.
Who's that talking in the library?
Who's that talking in my library?
Is that you? No I won't put you out
Cause what would this place be without my muse
Nothing special, every book in here I wrote
Some I'm not too proud of some I wish I could burn
So many pages I wrote, wish I could revise them
But there's no erasing and the best advice I got
Was keep writing, and keep living, and keep loving
And when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust
So will we turn to dust, so will we dust, dust
Who's that laughing in my library?
Who's that laughing in my library?
Is that you? No I won't put you out
Cause what would this place be without your smile
Nothing special, I fell in love with you girl
You let yourself inside with no respect for privacy
You said there's too much on my mind
Then you ripped out a page and set that shit on flame
I quit writing, I kept living, I kept loving
And when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust
So will we turn to dust, so will we dust, dust
Who's that talking in my library?
Is that you? No I won't put you out
Cause what would this place be without my muse
Nothing special, every book in here I wrote
Some I'm not too proud of some I wish I could burn
So many pages I wrote, wish I could revise them
But there's no erasing and the best advice I got
Was keep writing, and keep living, and keep loving
And when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust
So will we turn to dust, so will we dust, dust
Who's that laughing in my library?
Who's that laughing in my library?
Is that you? No I won't put you out
Cause what would this place be without your smile
Nothing special, I fell in love with you girl
You let yourself inside with no respect for privacy
You said there's too much on my mind
Then you ripped out a page and set that shit on flame
I quit writing, I kept living, I kept loving
And when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust
So will we turn to dust, so will we dust, dust
Lyrics submitted by thatoneguy82101
Dust Lyrics as written by Christopher Breaux Brandon Green
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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ok frank ocean. meanings kinda obv hes just using a library as a metaphor for his past
Beautiful Frank Ocean. The library is a metaphor for a past relationship that he can't quite let go of. Although the person he was in love with is flouted the conventions of the library (ie the accepted conventions of a relationship) which is supposed to be a quiet place of study by laughing, talking etc he can't comply with what would be the accepted response and throw them out. In other words although she didn't behave in the way she should have done in their relationship he still can't let go of her memory. She hurt him and although the best advice he received was to 'keep writing, and keep living, and keep loving' after she left he 'quit writing, kept living, kept loving'. The relationship changed him forever and even though he has carried on with his life a fundamental part of who he was has been lost forever.