"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.
Some of you will get out alive
Don't move at all because
I promised you all your scars
Will be worth all your loss
You've taken the fall
To save your skin
We've stymied them all
These precious nailed sins
They sting 'cause we are
We are strong
The freedom comes when this anthem is sung
The fates come undone
'Cause we have switched the lights on
We've exposed their friends-in-arms
Now we stand as one at the end
If we are the last few,
Who will be the first one to lead us?
If we are the last few
Will I feel alive?
Once chance to prove there's some things that can lead us
To new life, new life
That alone I can lead us
New life, new life
New life, new life
If we are the last few,
Now we're alone and can need it
If we are the last few
New life, new life
New life, new life
Don't move at all because
I promised you all your scars
Will be worth all your loss
You've taken the fall
To save your skin
We've stymied them all
These precious nailed sins
They sting 'cause we are
We are strong
The freedom comes when this anthem is sung
The fates come undone
'Cause we have switched the lights on
We've exposed their friends-in-arms
Now we stand as one at the end
If we are the last few,
Who will be the first one to lead us?
If we are the last few
Will I feel alive?
Once chance to prove there's some things that can lead us
To new life, new life
That alone I can lead us
New life, new life
New life, new life
If we are the last few,
Now we're alone and can need it
If we are the last few
New life, new life
New life, new life
Lyrics submitted by orphaeus99, edited by gcj725, NourSherif
The Last Few Lyrics as written by Ian Kenny Andrew Goddard
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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
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.
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.
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.
youtube.com/watch
Some of you will get out alive Though, you'll bear all the cost I promised you all your scars Will be worth all you've lost
We've taken the fall To save your skin We've stomached them all These precious medicines As sick as we are... ...we are strong
Now freedom comes When this anthem is sung The fates come undone 'Cause we have switched the lights on We've exposed their friends-in-arms Now we stand as one at the end
If we are the last few, Who will be the first one to lead us? If we are the last few Will I feel alive? One chance to prove we're so fiercely committed To new life, new life! We're alone and committed To new life, new life! New life, new life!
If we are the last few, Now we're alone and committed If we are the last few New life, new life! New life, new life!