"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.
Mother, at my first breath
Every paragraph was set
As I inhaled the scent of debt
Mother, that first stolen air
On papers saying I'm not mine
"We crown you, the King of Loss...
Better get on your feet
Best be one of us
Better get yourself on the list
For success
Dress up as a State investment
Charm the press
A breed from the seed of only
One short breath"
Mother, hence we cry:
Some of us are free to stand
Most of us are bound to lie
In those bloodstained beds
No one can afford to pay
The prices on their babies' heads
I am the King of Loss!
For every dear smile I feel I'm not one of us
"An ivory coin for every plus on your stone"
"One more governmental blade
Now drawn from its sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say since either way
You will live by the show of our teeth!"
Mother, I wish that we could talk
You see
I'm not fit to play this game
Bound by its rules just the same
My talents turned to talons
Every monetary pile
Will buy me a precious smile...
smile...
So smile for the King of Loss
Feed from the juices
Bleeding from this cross
Then tell me our lives mean more
Than this vain thirst!
"A governmental blade
Drawn from its private sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say, since either way
You'll be living by the show of our..."
I hold up my head
This was my life
Now I'm with the dead
So I lay my bare neck
This is your call
Dub a king or a wreck
(Mother, listen to me mother)
This was my life
This is your call
Is this all I am? Is this all I'll be?
This is not enough!
We're all crying for respect and attention
We're all dying for a painless redemption!
This is not what I wanted
But for every drop of blood I lost myself
I, too, lay bleeding on the sidewalk...
Mother
Long live the dying king
"A governmental blade
Now drawn from its private sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say, since either way
I will live by the show of your teeth..."
Every paragraph was set
As I inhaled the scent of debt
Mother, that first stolen air
On papers saying I'm not mine
"We crown you, the King of Loss...
Better get on your feet
Best be one of us
Better get yourself on the list
For success
Dress up as a State investment
Charm the press
A breed from the seed of only
One short breath"
Mother, hence we cry:
Some of us are free to stand
Most of us are bound to lie
In those bloodstained beds
No one can afford to pay
The prices on their babies' heads
I am the King of Loss!
For every dear smile I feel I'm not one of us
"An ivory coin for every plus on your stone"
"One more governmental blade
Now drawn from its sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say since either way
You will live by the show of our teeth!"
Mother, I wish that we could talk
You see
I'm not fit to play this game
Bound by its rules just the same
My talents turned to talons
Every monetary pile
Will buy me a precious smile...
smile...
So smile for the King of Loss
Feed from the juices
Bleeding from this cross
Then tell me our lives mean more
Than this vain thirst!
"A governmental blade
Drawn from its private sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say, since either way
You'll be living by the show of our..."
I hold up my head
This was my life
Now I'm with the dead
So I lay my bare neck
This is your call
Dub a king or a wreck
(Mother, listen to me mother)
This was my life
This is your call
Is this all I am? Is this all I'll be?
This is not enough!
We're all crying for respect and attention
We're all dying for a painless redemption!
This is not what I wanted
But for every drop of blood I lost myself
I, too, lay bleeding on the sidewalk...
Mother
Long live the dying king
"A governmental blade
Now drawn from its private sheath
Quite a bargain I'd say, since either way
I will live by the show of your teeth..."
Lyrics submitted by carlos_avdas
King of Loss Lyrics as written by Daniel Gildenloew
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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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/
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Page
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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.
I can't see how anyone is unable to see the political undertones in this song. Really they're more like overtones compared to the rest of the album. Scarsick only furthers Longandweirdname's interpretation. It's definitely about Him and the role he is playing in society. Which is only a part of the overall story concerning Him and Her.
He sees himself but a tool, another cog in the machinery (ala the character in One Hour By The Concrete Lale). He's told there's a greater purpose but he doesn't seem to believe in that.