"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.
There's miles of land in front of us
And we're dying with every step we take
We're dying with every breath we make
And all fall in line
A stranger's back is all I see
He's only a few feet in front of me
And all look left and right sometimes
But all fall in line
No one looks up anymore
'Cause you might get a raindrop in your eye
And heaven forbid, they see you cry
As we fall in line
And about this time of every year
The Line will go to the ocean pier
And walk right off into the sea
Then we fall asleep
As we near the end of land
And our ocean graves are just beyond the sand
I ask myself the question, why
I fall in line
Then out of the corner of my eye
I see a spaceship in the sky
And hear a voice inside my head
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me
Then the wages of war will start
Inside my head with my counterpart
And the emotionless marchers will chant the phrase
This line's the only way
Then I start down the sand
My eyes are focused on the end of land
But again the voice inside my head
Says, follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Take me up
Seal the door
I don't want to march here anymore
I realize that this line is dead
So I'll follow you instead
So then you put me back in my place
So I might start another day
And once again, I will be
In a march to the sea
And we're dying with every step we take
We're dying with every breath we make
And all fall in line
A stranger's back is all I see
He's only a few feet in front of me
And all look left and right sometimes
But all fall in line
No one looks up anymore
'Cause you might get a raindrop in your eye
And heaven forbid, they see you cry
As we fall in line
And about this time of every year
The Line will go to the ocean pier
And walk right off into the sea
Then we fall asleep
As we near the end of land
And our ocean graves are just beyond the sand
I ask myself the question, why
I fall in line
Then out of the corner of my eye
I see a spaceship in the sky
And hear a voice inside my head
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me
Then the wages of war will start
Inside my head with my counterpart
And the emotionless marchers will chant the phrase
This line's the only way
Then I start down the sand
My eyes are focused on the end of land
But again the voice inside my head
Says, follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Follow me instead
Take me up
Seal the door
I don't want to march here anymore
I realize that this line is dead
So I'll follow you instead
So then you put me back in my place
So I might start another day
And once again, I will be
In a march to the sea
Lyrics submitted by bookhouseboy23, edited by austinedward, cleftreble, tacomix
March To The Sea Lyrics as written by Tyler Joseph
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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.
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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,
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“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.
Along with what everyone else has said, I believe this is an amazing allusion referring to "Sherman's March to the Sea". This is the name most commonly used for the Savannah Campaign during the American Civil War. I won't bore you with details, but they basically tore through the southern enemy terretory, like badasses, without supply lines. It was considered one of the most revolutional acts in American history.
Very strong lyrics, but what's new?... These guys are genius.
@socoandrew1990 In Sherman's March to the Sea it wasn't badass, he allowed his soldiers to burn everything in sight, kill people, and rape women. Sherman also had the first "scorched Earth" policy which basically is above. So I believe that the lyrics could be a reference to not wanting to follow these cruel policies and not get out of line. No offense, but badass is the opposite of the March to the Sea of the Civil War.