"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 a pub on the south side of town
Time stands still while there's still wine around
She's the one you let in out of the cold
The one who's neer and always alone
Did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Keep her glass full of cheap champagne
She will tell of a man with no name
Smoke and mirrors have done her in
She's in love and she won't be again
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
So lovely
So lonely
Floating away
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Time stands still while there's still wine around
She's the one you let in out of the cold
The one who's neer and always alone
Did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Keep her glass full of cheap champagne
She will tell of a man with no name
Smoke and mirrors have done her in
She's in love and she won't be again
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
So lovely
So lonely
Floating away
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Oh did she let him go,
Or did the four winds blow him away?
Oh does she even know,
She's the girl with the red balloon?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Barracuda
Girl With the Red Balloon Lyrics as written by Joy Williams John White
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
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Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“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.
I am pretty sure they are referring to this beautiful graffiti/art on Banksy (?), I think and it was a drawing of a girl with a red balloon in the shaped of a heart.
1.bp.blogspot.com/_UGkDeohRngE/TDPavfnitOI/AAAAAAAABM4/U7ylZ2iu1yU/S760/girlwred1.jpg
In the picture, we see the little girl letting go of the heart-shaped balloon, which can be interpreted into LOST LOVE, which is the meaning of this song, 'Girl With a Red Balloon.'
Lost love.
She was the girl who let love go.
Civil Wars is great. :)
Could this song be any more achingly beautiful? Can't believe no one has posted yet. For me...this song is about "the one that got away" but it seems like they are that for each other. Some mysterious man that she loved and perhaps she pushed him away or he left because he knew he was no good for her or it could have been caused by a misunderstanding. The "man with no name" could mean one night stand...but it almost makes me think she doesn't want to say who it is. Either to painful to say his name or can't divulge who the man was. Who knows..? And she is lonely and can't move on because he's the only one she'll ever love. And yet IDK. I could be way off. I love how the chorus reminds me of a turn-of-the-century circus which makes it sound dreamy or like a fantasy. Seriously...The Civil Wars are the best thing to happen to music in a while. Love them.
Totally agree and had not heard their music until this site. Surprisingly, for the first time, I heard them on the radio tonight (unless they are popular and I am unaware because I listen to mostly classic rock) so, yeah...best thing thats happened to music lately, for sure! Also, when I hear red balloon I immediately think Shindlers List, but couldn't read more into that so i do agree with you that there is some sort of depraved love of sorts. <br /> <br /> Maybe I get it...the red balloon...red. being passion, anger, or at least extreme emotion filled with air (lacking substance, and could easily float away) yet she clings to it never the less...she holds a string that.keeps her bounded to hot air for what? Does she even know? Perhaps not...<br /> <br /> Clinging to nothing within the comforts of solitude keeps her lonely, thus she keeps him alive. She's in love and won't be again because its safe...always near, always alone...holding close what I'd dear, yet gone.
What IS dear which is how she feels, but does not solely operate with that. She let go for real reasons, but can't let go for for other reasons as well and tried to drown the pain. Anywho, they are amazing and i need to read up a bit more on how they came to be. I love artist who are emotionally honest and whos music reflects that, such as this beautiful duo!
It seems to me like this song is about a girl who's always been given 'second rate' love. Someone who just waits for love, and once she has love she's afraid of it because it's strange and new to her. It's strange and new to her because she been 'loved' so many times that she thinks that cheap love she's been given is actual love so she baffled by this true love. She's in such awe that someone could or would love her that she pushes afraid that it's a sham or trick in disguise, so she let him go.
I think the songs basic meaning is about lost love. The girl was in love with this mystery man the song talks about, but somehow she lost him, and she loves him so much, that she'll never be able to fall in love again. Looking at it more deeply, it's also about how the girl doesn't even realize her own loss, or is chasing after something (the man/lost love) despite the fact that it's already gone.