"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'm in need of the answer, in search of the question, in love with being broken-hearted
Days race by faster, it's a made up lesson and I'm lost before I've started
A little white lie, a big black sky, and emptiness open on the dashboard
You feel a lack of self and it's someone else telling you to try where you failed before
Where does the time go? I don't know
It's moving underneath me
Like I'm moving in slow-mo(tion)
I reach out though
It passes too quick to see me
Living on the back nine, living out your past life, trying to make a living as an outlaw
But the problem you see, stealing ain't what it used to be, everyone's used to it by now
You pack up your gun, make your best run, your thinking isn't breaking any new ground
But is there such a thing when you watched the rain, wash away everything that you thought you'd found?
Where does the time go? I don't know
It's moving underneath me
Like I'm moving in slow-mo(tion)
I reach out though
It passes too quick to see me
I think that this could be the last one, Jimmy
Why don't you come and take this last one with me?
I gotta say that it's good to be home
Sometimes I miss you when I'm out there alone
So come around some time, clear your mind, it's getting harder as the weeks slip away
You can turn on a dime, pass you up blind while you're waiting for the truth to come your way
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Days race by faster, it's a made up lesson and I'm lost before I've started
A little white lie, a big black sky, and emptiness open on the dashboard
You feel a lack of self and it's someone else telling you to try where you failed before
Where does the time go? I don't know
It's moving underneath me
Like I'm moving in slow-mo(tion)
I reach out though
It passes too quick to see me
Living on the back nine, living out your past life, trying to make a living as an outlaw
But the problem you see, stealing ain't what it used to be, everyone's used to it by now
You pack up your gun, make your best run, your thinking isn't breaking any new ground
But is there such a thing when you watched the rain, wash away everything that you thought you'd found?
Where does the time go? I don't know
It's moving underneath me
Like I'm moving in slow-mo(tion)
I reach out though
It passes too quick to see me
I think that this could be the last one, Jimmy
Why don't you come and take this last one with me?
I gotta say that it's good to be home
Sometimes I miss you when I'm out there alone
So come around some time, clear your mind, it's getting harder as the weeks slip away
You can turn on a dime, pass you up blind while you're waiting for the truth to come your way
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
Your time will come
If you let it be right, if you let it be right
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
The way I look at it, the song is about self doubt, while time passes and we all get older. Whether or not they actually matter at all, those complicated questions. Things will become clear with time.
this song is awesome because 1- amazing lyrics and 2- it's in the show suits!
I think this song is about believing that things will be okay even if you've had bad experiences in the past. Everyone knows how hard it can be to start over and hope for the best. This song seems like someone is living in a rut and thinks they don't have a chance, although their friends know they have the potential to come out of it. Living this way the days all see the same and time is "slipping away".
I also think that this person made a mistake A little white lie, a big black sky, an emptiness open on the dashboard" then Livin’ on the back nine, livin’ out your past life, tryin’ to make a livin' as an outlaw" I wanna guess that he did somethign that made him ashamed and think this mistake would mark the rest of his life
I think it is more than just a lyrics we should look at. If you listen carefully there is one particular sound during the whole song (i think it is piano ) that is played backwards. That represents we always want to go back in time. To enjoy good experiences. But almost at the end this sound dissapear. This is the messeage that if we got stuck in past we the real time is not at rest but still going and we will miss the important events and experiences that we may have oppurtunity to go throught in future .:(