"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.
Through danger seen and unseen
There's protection all around
Under the refuge of God's wings
Security is found
For there are angels watchin' you
To keep you in all of your ways
Keeping you from stumbling, so don't be afraid
God's appointed angels, watching over me
Angels watchin' over me
Angel watching over me
Angel watching over me, yeah
Unseen hands guiding me
Though my storm and through my rain, oh
Healing hands holding me
Through the darkness of my pain
Wings of loving hands
Around me so I will not fear
For I can feel the presence covering me
Nothing but angels watching over me
Angels watching over, over, over, over, over, over me
Angels watching over me (watching over me)
Angels watching over me
All night (all night)
All day (all day)
Angels watching over (angels watching over)
Me my Lord (me my Lord)
And all night (all night)
And all day (all day)
Angels watching over (angels watching over)
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over me (angels)
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
All night (all night)
And all day (all day)
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me (angels,angels, angels)
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (thank you, thank you)
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (thank you)
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (watching over me)
Watching over me
Watching over me (watching over me)
Watching over me
There's protection all around
Under the refuge of God's wings
Security is found
For there are angels watchin' you
To keep you in all of your ways
Keeping you from stumbling, so don't be afraid
God's appointed angels, watching over me
Angels watchin' over me
Angel watching over me
Angel watching over me, yeah
Unseen hands guiding me
Though my storm and through my rain, oh
Healing hands holding me
Through the darkness of my pain
Wings of loving hands
Around me so I will not fear
For I can feel the presence covering me
Nothing but angels watching over me
Angels watching over, over, over, over, over, over me
Angels watching over me (watching over me)
Angels watching over me
All night (all night)
All day (all day)
Angels watching over (angels watching over)
Me my Lord (me my Lord)
And all night (all night)
And all day (all day)
Angels watching over (angels watching over)
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over me (angels)
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
All night (all night)
And all day (all day)
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me
All night
All day
Angels watching over
Me my Lord
All night
All day
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me (angels,angels, angels)
Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (thank you, thank you)
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (thank you)
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me
Watching over me (watching over me)
Watching over me
Watching over me (watching over me)
Watching over me
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Angels [Extended edit] Lyrics as written by Richard Lee Smallwood
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Cajun Girl
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
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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.