"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.
Late nights, New York, trouble on my mind
Crossed town to the west end, I'm wasting my time
Down south back roads, dust clouds yeahh
Chevorlet in the backseat, but it wasn't there
Missed the flight out of Heathrow, got stuck up in a one room flat
She's so fit tryna hold me down, while I was just trying to get back
Malibu, beach blonde, crashing on these shores
A smile shining like gold, but that smile wasn't yours
And I know, I know, I know, I know
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
High heels, dirty talk, hand cuffs and chains
Nails down my back, but I never knew her name
Bright eyes, sun dress, daddy's little girl
She changed my life, but you changed my world
And I know, I know, I know, I know
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
You're every place that I've been baby, you're every face that I've seen
You're everywhere and I'm going crazy, your body rockin my dreams
You're always up in my mind, you're everywhere that I go
You're everything in this time, so girl I'm lettin you know
That I'm rolling up in a fly whip, come ride this and just close your eyes
Showin up with my sidekick, my, superhero with a dope disguise
No wonder woman, all our dreams are coming true
So don't be scared of losing me, because I'm always choosing you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
I need somebody to love
I need somebody to love
And if you need somebody to love, then I choose you
Crossed town to the west end, I'm wasting my time
Down south back roads, dust clouds yeahh
Chevorlet in the backseat, but it wasn't there
Missed the flight out of Heathrow, got stuck up in a one room flat
She's so fit tryna hold me down, while I was just trying to get back
Malibu, beach blonde, crashing on these shores
A smile shining like gold, but that smile wasn't yours
And I know, I know, I know, I know
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
High heels, dirty talk, hand cuffs and chains
Nails down my back, but I never knew her name
Bright eyes, sun dress, daddy's little girl
She changed my life, but you changed my world
And I know, I know, I know, I know
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
You're every place that I've been baby, you're every face that I've seen
You're everywhere and I'm going crazy, your body rockin my dreams
You're always up in my mind, you're everywhere that I go
You're everything in this time, so girl I'm lettin you know
That I'm rolling up in a fly whip, come ride this and just close your eyes
Showin up with my sidekick, my, superhero with a dope disguise
No wonder woman, all our dreams are coming true
So don't be scared of losing me, because I'm always choosing you
Everybody needs somebody to love
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
And I choose you
And I choose you
Everybody needs somebody to love
And I choose you
I need somebody to love
I need somebody to love
And if you need somebody to love, then I choose you
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
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.