"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.
Vicious one how ever did you find me?
Time is wasted, words are cheap
Now it seems that we are not crazy
And lovers sow what lovers reap
Nothing now can ever come between us
As we hide and watch the city burn
There is much that I still want to tell you
But now is not the time to speak of love
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
Live in fear I cannot be your savior
There is no violence in your heart
Warriors are both time and patience
But you and I are worlds apart
We all, we all, we all saw the light
We are, we are, we are first and right
Nothing now can ever come between us
As we hide and watch the city burn
There is much that I still want to tell you
But now is not the time to speak of love
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
Until you are near
Time is wasted, words are cheap
Now it seems that we are not crazy
And lovers sow what lovers reap
Nothing now can ever come between us
As we hide and watch the city burn
There is much that I still want to tell you
But now is not the time to speak of love
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
Live in fear I cannot be your savior
There is no violence in your heart
Warriors are both time and patience
But you and I are worlds apart
We all, we all, we all saw the light
We are, we are, we are first and right
Nothing now can ever come between us
As we hide and watch the city burn
There is much that I still want to tell you
But now is not the time to speak of love
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
(Oh oh) beckoning to me
(Oh oh) more than memory
(Oh oh) words are useless here
(Oh oh) until you are near
Until you are near
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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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Multiple "things" make me think of a long fling/love. These two are described as the loving type. Something has brought them back (we saw the light) together, for this time being.. But - now is not the time to speak of love.
-two people can have chemistry, thats the easy part. But there is the other thing.. Timing. Timing is a bitch"
Yes, timing is a bitch.
Echo into me More than memory Words are useless here Until you are near
Those are my favorite lyrics because the last words in each line rhyme - me, memory and here, near.
My interpretation of those lines are that he's telling her he wants her to keep talking so she'll or her voice at least will be more than a memory to him, but that it's meaningless unless they're near each other.
This song makes me think of a pair of survivors of some disaster who find themselves in a world where they need to rely on each-other to survive, but which also leaves no room for real relationships. There's no space for words, since they now have to fight against something much bigger than either of them.
"Vicious one how ever did you find me?"
She's speaking here to the person responsible for the disaster.
"Now it seems that we are not crazy And lovers sow what lovers reap"
Maybe her and her lover predicted the disaster, and so their 'harvest' is their survival. (many other interpretations here).
"Nothing now can ever come between us As we hide and watch the city burn"
They know that from here on out, they'll need to rely on each-other completely, and have each-other's backs.
"There is much that I still want to tell you But now is not the time to speak of love"
But they know that the world they now live in leaves no space for normal relationships.
"Live in fear I cannot be your savior There is no violence in your heart"
But she also thinks of her companion as less prepared than her in some way; as someone who will either have to learn violence, or who will need help surviving beyond what she can provide.
"Warriors are both time and patience But you and I are worlds apart"
The bit about warriors is from Tolstoy. I think she's saying that she is a warrior and her companion is not? Unsure.
"We all, we all, we all saw the light We are, we are, we are first and right"
I think here, she's saying that they now know to put each-other first, and that their survival is something of a righteous cause.
Anyhow, just the images that this song makes me think of.
It's a stupid song by a woman who doesn't know what the hell she's talkin about.
She let her presumptions get the best of her, and it cost them both.