"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.
Big nights are black and blue, they get cold and they get wet
They calling out for you, like no one you've ever met
No one dreams in the hours around me
The more I lose, the more you'll find me
I lose track with every kiss, we shouldn't be isolated by this
Yeah, you're my friend, and when we're lost I'll still
Hold your hand
Revealing white when the shadows fail
And any shadow that you can name
I'll be the shadow of your name...
Hold the prize close to your heart
Prizes made for those who fail
Hold the prize away from you, so maybe you can hold me as well
Time peels off your statued skin, I'll still be fooled by what remains
And whatever's left of you, you'll be my dream
Yeah, you're my friend, and when we're drunk I'll still
Hold your hand
Revealing white when the shadows fail
And any shadow that you can name
I'll be the shadow of your name...
They calling out for you, like no one you've ever met
No one dreams in the hours around me
The more I lose, the more you'll find me
I lose track with every kiss, we shouldn't be isolated by this
Yeah, you're my friend, and when we're lost I'll still
Hold your hand
Revealing white when the shadows fail
And any shadow that you can name
I'll be the shadow of your name...
Hold the prize close to your heart
Prizes made for those who fail
Hold the prize away from you, so maybe you can hold me as well
Time peels off your statued skin, I'll still be fooled by what remains
And whatever's left of you, you'll be my dream
Yeah, you're my friend, and when we're drunk I'll still
Hold your hand
Revealing white when the shadows fail
And any shadow that you can name
I'll be the shadow of your name...
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Big Night Lyrics as written by John Mark Eitzel
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.