"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.
I finally get what you've been saying
Now that we're knee deep side by side
The storm clouds are circling above us
As we struggle against the tide
I feel your grip firm on my shoulder
But this fear in my head won't subside
They patiently circle around us
As we hold out
Oh father, why have they forsaken me?
You warned me that they would
Because it's passing down the bloodline
It's spoken and misunderstood
We're losing light
And strength of will
The darkened depths beckoning still
Then we hold on against the tide
"Another storm you're left to fight alone
Remember son, you're reaping what you've sown
Under the waves we're sinking like a stone
I'm sorry son, you're reaping what you've sown"
You're reaping what you've sown
We're slowly losing ground
And hope is harder to maintain
We know the prayers we prayed
Feel lost like tears in the rain
The water is pulling down
It's eclipsing the sun
The ending that we knew would come
Has finally begun
It's finally begun
I'm reaping what you've sown
You're reaping what you've sown
This sorrow weighs down on my shoulders
This fear is getting harder to hide
You'll leave me alone in this darkness
Left to hold out
Against the tide
Now that we're knee deep side by side
The storm clouds are circling above us
As we struggle against the tide
I feel your grip firm on my shoulder
But this fear in my head won't subside
They patiently circle around us
As we hold out
Oh father, why have they forsaken me?
You warned me that they would
Because it's passing down the bloodline
It's spoken and misunderstood
We're losing light
And strength of will
The darkened depths beckoning still
Then we hold on against the tide
"Another storm you're left to fight alone
Remember son, you're reaping what you've sown
Under the waves we're sinking like a stone
I'm sorry son, you're reaping what you've sown"
You're reaping what you've sown
We're slowly losing ground
And hope is harder to maintain
We know the prayers we prayed
Feel lost like tears in the rain
The water is pulling down
It's eclipsing the sun
The ending that we knew would come
Has finally begun
It's finally begun
I'm reaping what you've sown
You're reaping what you've sown
This sorrow weighs down on my shoulders
This fear is getting harder to hide
You'll leave me alone in this darkness
Left to hold out
Against the tide
Lyrics submitted by ArchAngelVanity, edited by OmegaSpark, Kafari
Against the Tide Lyrics as written by Klayton
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
The beauty of this song is that it has room for virtually any number of interpretations. Metaphorically, Klayton compares the struggle of the bad parts in our lives to a sinking ship in a terrible tropical storm.
The lyrics paint the picture of a young Captain and his crew aboard a ship caught in a dangerous storm. Ravaged by the tides, the ship is at hell's mercy. The Captain then quickly discovers that the crew mates who would never leave his side have abandoned ship, leaving him all alone to face the storm's fury.
He pray's to the father above for heavenly grace, but too late as the father replies "Another storm you’re left to fight alone, Remember son you’re reaping what you've sown"
The parable can literally be applied to just about any Father/ Son situation. Ex: Son joins a gang. The father tried hard to keep his son away from that life warning that when things go south, his gang friends will abandon him. The Son gets prosecuted and goes to prison. The father won't intervene or bail in fear that his Son will not learn this lesson.
You could even go a bit deeper and apply the parable life itself. Life is a gift that we take for granted, but once staring death in the eye, we beg and pray to the forces that be for repentance.