"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 were wrong
You were right
And you are gone
Tonight
You were free
So alive
You were wrong
You were right
And you were down
You could see
And you wore hearts
For me
You were sharp
As sharp as knives
You were wrong
You were right
Shot down
Said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet
But I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
And you were bound
You were free
And you wear black
For me
You were dark
As dark as night
You were wrong
Yeah, you were right
Well, shot down
Said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet
No, but I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
Hell, it's not easy tonight
She's in over my head
And it's not easy, it's not easy tonight
She's in over my head
And it's not easy, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
It's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright, yeah
You were free
Now your not
You were free, babe
You were right
And you are gone
Tonight
You were free
So alive
You were wrong
You were right
And you were down
You could see
And you wore hearts
For me
You were sharp
As sharp as knives
You were wrong
You were right
Shot down
Said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet
But I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
And you were bound
You were free
And you wear black
For me
You were dark
As dark as night
You were wrong
Yeah, you were right
Well, shot down
Said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet
No, but I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
No, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
Hell, it's not easy tonight
She's in over my head
And it's not easy, it's not easy tonight
She's in over my head
And it's not easy, it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright
It's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire
Anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright, yeah
You were free
Now your not
You were free, babe
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think this is about something much more common than suicide. It is about two people being attracted to each other but not compatible. Think about it, what is the most frequent line in the song? "You were wrong, you were right." She told him that she was wrong for him and now he sees that she was right about that. They like each other but in front of the movie theater they are pulling in opposite directions - they each want something different from life.
They are having fun, but he says "you were dark, dark as night" - he can't see into her head and understand what goes on there, it is all dark to him, the "great unknown". He goes to her building but can't get in - it is her mind that he can't see into. Finally she decides to throw the keys to him, to let him in, to show him what is inside. But when he runs inside it is empty to him, what is there has no real meaning to him so he can't see it at all. She was right, she was wrong.