"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.
Up, up, up, up, up, up points the
Spire of the steeple
But God's work isn't done by God
It's done by people
Up, up, up, up, up, up points the
Fingers of the trees
The lumberjacks with their bloody axes
Are on their knees
And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows
Up, up, up, up, up, up dances
The steam from the sewer
As she rounds the corner
The brutal wind blows right through her
Up, up, up, up, up, up raises
The stakes of the game
Each day sinks its bootprints into her clay
And she's not the same
And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows
Half of learning how to play
Is learning what not to play
And she's learning the spaces she leaves
Have their own things to say
Then she's trying to sing just enough
So that the air around her moves
And make music like mercy
That gives what it is and has nothing to prove
She crawls out on a limb
And begins to build her home
And it's enough just to look around
To know she's not alone
Up, up, up, up, up, up points
The spire of the steeple
But God's work isn't done by God
It's done by people
Spire of the steeple
But God's work isn't done by God
It's done by people
Up, up, up, up, up, up points the
Fingers of the trees
The lumberjacks with their bloody axes
Are on their knees
And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows
Up, up, up, up, up, up dances
The steam from the sewer
As she rounds the corner
The brutal wind blows right through her
Up, up, up, up, up, up raises
The stakes of the game
Each day sinks its bootprints into her clay
And she's not the same
And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows
Half of learning how to play
Is learning what not to play
And she's learning the spaces she leaves
Have their own things to say
Then she's trying to sing just enough
So that the air around her moves
And make music like mercy
That gives what it is and has nothing to prove
She crawls out on a limb
And begins to build her home
And it's enough just to look around
To know she's not alone
Up, up, up, up, up, up points
The spire of the steeple
But God's work isn't done by God
It's done by people
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
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.
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.
whatever, guy. this song is incredible. all the way through. here's my interpretation. (still kinda sketchy.)
up up up up up up, points the spire of the steeple. but god's work isn't done by god it's done by people (People do things. not God. you can't credit someone else for something YOU did.)
up up up up up up, points the fingers of the trees. the lumberjacks with their bloody axes are on their knees (hmmm i'm gonna say this is about repentance? maybe cutting trees is not really a good thing. and maybe since they're on their knees, they're realizing what they've done wrong and regretting? (i honestly don't know))
and just when you think that you've got enough, enough grows. (when you think you have everything you need, more things turn into needs and you need more. (for most people)) and everywhere that you go in life, enough knows. (i want to say enough is a noun in this line. the enough that grows in the previous line is the enough that knows. (again, ?)
up up up up up up, dances the steam from the sewer. as she rounds the corner the brutal wind blows right through her (I think about big city living. and the numbness that builds up in people because of the city)
up up up up up up raises the stakes of the game. each day sinks its bootprint into her clay and she's not the same (same thing. big city numbness.)
and half of learning how to play is learning what not to play (self explanitory, and very true.) and she's learning the spaces she leaves have their own things to say (the things she isn't sure about, tell her that she isn't complete.) then she's trying to sing just enough so that the air around her moves and make music like mercy that gives what it is and has nothing to prove (music is ani's escape, and career, ect. obviously. and in most of her songs, she isn't trying to ram her thoughts and believes down your throat. "i am just singing my own truth" as she said in another song. Her music has nothing to prove to anyone. her music is simply a relection of herself and her thoughts.)
she crawls out on a limb and begins to build her home it's enough just to look around to know she's not alone (I am about to move out of my parents house, and so this verse means something different to me. but i don't think that's what she meant. i think she's saying like.. going out on a limb, doing something drastic. (like her music and the judgment that ensues it.) and then looking around and realizing she's not the only one with the same ideas that she has.)
all together, this song is about getting by in whatever circumstance you happen to be placed in. if you are as smart as Ani Difranco, there's gonna be a lot of judgment and critsizm from the more stupid people in the world.
idk. that's just my interpretation of this song. and i could be wrong. besides the meaning, the beat is super cool and relaxing too. i love it.