"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.
Well, you were happy where you were
But that girl she wheeled you in
This time was never good enough
'Cause she was gone and seen everything
And if you ever spoke of love
She just smiled and put you down
'Cause she was making all the plans
She had a vision of light and sound
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And everything that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money pack your bags
We better run before we disappear
She took the train into the city but you're still here
You hear a song that takes you back
The song long for God tonight
And friends who said they hang your back
But they just turned them round and let you fight
And on the bowling alley wall
You used all your smartest minds
But they'll be painted over now
Looks like here gonna get left behind
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And all the things that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money, pack your bags
I wanna run with you on Stamford hill
She took the train into the city but you stood still
You stood still about the train
You knew as you watched her go
That she wan never coming back
And start to places that you know
You said you're scared if I
And that didn't want to go
Where everyone else goes
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And everything that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money, pack your bags
We better run before we disappear
She took the train into the city but you're still here
She took the train into the city but you're still here
But that girl she wheeled you in
This time was never good enough
'Cause she was gone and seen everything
And if you ever spoke of love
She just smiled and put you down
'Cause she was making all the plans
She had a vision of light and sound
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And everything that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money pack your bags
We better run before we disappear
She took the train into the city but you're still here
You hear a song that takes you back
The song long for God tonight
And friends who said they hang your back
But they just turned them round and let you fight
And on the bowling alley wall
You used all your smartest minds
But they'll be painted over now
Looks like here gonna get left behind
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And all the things that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money, pack your bags
I wanna run with you on Stamford hill
She took the train into the city but you stood still
You stood still about the train
You knew as you watched her go
That she wan never coming back
And start to places that you know
You said you're scared if I
And that didn't want to go
Where everyone else goes
She said the neon on the river will light my way
And everything that we've been dreaming of making real one day
So save your money, pack your bags
We better run before we disappear
She took the train into the city but you're still here
She took the train into the city but you're still here
Lyrics submitted by scousersfc, edited by owl21, CinderLunar
Neon River Lyrics as written by Richard David Hughes Jesse Quin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
I feel like this song is a extended version of the strangeland song. You might wanna check my annalisys of that one.
I believe the main theme of the album is realism x idealism shaped in themes like "the old days", "break-ups" and some others.
This song in particular is about a man's idealistic perspective and a girl's pragmatic perspective. What it means is that the girl will decide to take real life risks while the boy will try to convey emotions in the relationship.
They both fail in their attempt and some lines describes that. The boy tries to speak of love but she just smiles and puts him down. On the other hand, the girl takes the train to live a new life (in the strangeland!) and the guy decides to stay behind.
Well, the real world isn't meant for everybody the same way that emotional experiences aren't appealing for some. I believe the song also tries to show a way to merge these perceptions of life. The girl tries to point directions by which the boy can caught up to her, or, as the song says, a neon river to light his way.
Some will find a way to relate to their opposites, some will find the end of the journey frustating. Hopefully, we'll have Keane to put these experiences in songs!