"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.
In my life I made a choice
To be what I have to be
But when I am to see myself in the mirror
I can't contain my pain
It looks me right in the eye
The secrets that I hide
Mean that in no one I can confide
I chose this life and fall to secrecy
But in the end it turns on me
The longest day of my life
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
In my life I broke a promise
I said I will always be there
I'm coming to find you to bring you back
This pain that I try to hide
Because I play your whole lie cannot defy
This time I'll change
I'll do things differently
I'll never let you go
Protect you with my life
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
Countless times they say I crossed the line
But ask me how many lives I saved in time
Innocents don't have to die
Not in my war
Not on my time
I'll do what I have to do until I die
This is my last day before I walk away
I'm coming to take your beautiful love
We'll be folly again
So you question my decisions now
Let me ask you how you'll feel
If all that mattered to you was so suddenly ripped away
Would you fight for it
Would you cross the line
Or would you let them slip away
I did my life
This is my last day before I walk away
I'm coming to take your beautiful love
We'll be folly again
And a day will come
When the warriors standing
Will be you and me
And that day has come
I'ts all they sing of
The final day for me is here
The final day is here
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
This is the longest day
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
This is the longest day
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
Picking up the pieces
To be what I have to be
But when I am to see myself in the mirror
I can't contain my pain
It looks me right in the eye
The secrets that I hide
Mean that in no one I can confide
I chose this life and fall to secrecy
But in the end it turns on me
The longest day of my life
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
In my life I broke a promise
I said I will always be there
I'm coming to find you to bring you back
This pain that I try to hide
Because I play your whole lie cannot defy
This time I'll change
I'll do things differently
I'll never let you go
Protect you with my life
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
Countless times they say I crossed the line
But ask me how many lives I saved in time
Innocents don't have to die
Not in my war
Not on my time
I'll do what I have to do until I die
This is my last day before I walk away
I'm coming to take your beautiful love
We'll be folly again
So you question my decisions now
Let me ask you how you'll feel
If all that mattered to you was so suddenly ripped away
Would you fight for it
Would you cross the line
Or would you let them slip away
I did my life
This is my last day before I walk away
I'm coming to take your beautiful love
We'll be folly again
And a day will come
When the warriors standing
Will be you and me
And that day has come
I'ts all they sing of
The final day for me is here
The final day is here
This is the longest day of my life
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
When I was young I saw my best friends die
I'm not gonna let you go
I'll be by your side forever
This is the longest day
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
This is the longest day
It's time to pick up the pieces
And build it back together
Picking up the pieces
Lyrics submitted by Hivoyer
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.