"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.
You got an albatross around your neck
Around your neck
You got a hundred broken lightbulbs above your head
They said that you had it coming but I wouldn't bet
'Cause you got a slowly ticking time bomb and then you see red
Sunblind
Sunblind
You got an albatross around your neck
Around your neck
You got a pile of broken wishbones under your bed
And you got a hungry green eyed monster that you keep fed
And it keeps on coming over it wants you dead
Sunblind
Sunblind
You burnt the lungs
That your ancestors created
You sat by the banks
Of the river and you waited
Till time rolled back
And the water had abated
You drank your share
But you still could not be sated
Quicksands of the mind
And the sinkholes you may find
When you look through
The twisting of the vines
(Twisting of the vines)
Time comes round again
Is itching at your bone
Chill wind comes round
It's blowing through your home
Quicksands of the mind
And the sinkholes you may find
When you look through
The twisting of the vines
You burnt the lungs
That your ancestors created
You sat by the banks
Of the river and you waited
Till time rolled back
And the water had abated
You drank your share
But you still could not be sated
You said you're scared
Of the clocks that keep ticking over
We'll find a way
For a life that's worth living over
Again and again
For a life that's worth living over
Again and again
A life that's worth living over
Again and again
Again and again and again
Again again
Again and again and again
Around your neck
You got a hundred broken lightbulbs above your head
They said that you had it coming but I wouldn't bet
'Cause you got a slowly ticking time bomb and then you see red
Sunblind
Sunblind
You got an albatross around your neck
Around your neck
You got a pile of broken wishbones under your bed
And you got a hungry green eyed monster that you keep fed
And it keeps on coming over it wants you dead
Sunblind
Sunblind
You burnt the lungs
That your ancestors created
You sat by the banks
Of the river and you waited
Till time rolled back
And the water had abated
You drank your share
But you still could not be sated
Quicksands of the mind
And the sinkholes you may find
When you look through
The twisting of the vines
(Twisting of the vines)
Time comes round again
Is itching at your bone
Chill wind comes round
It's blowing through your home
Quicksands of the mind
And the sinkholes you may find
When you look through
The twisting of the vines
You burnt the lungs
That your ancestors created
You sat by the banks
Of the river and you waited
Till time rolled back
And the water had abated
You drank your share
But you still could not be sated
You said you're scared
Of the clocks that keep ticking over
We'll find a way
For a life that's worth living over
Again and again
For a life that's worth living over
Again and again
A life that's worth living over
Again and again
Again and again and again
Again again
Again and again and again
Lyrics submitted by youwalkaway
Albatross Lyrics as written by Walter James Morrison Gervers Jack William Bevan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think it's about being insane at the beginning, believing the world's horrible, blaming everyone else for this. At the end somebody says anyway life is worthy to live.