"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.
Come with me. I won't hide
We're going on a ride
We meet each day, use time to see
While we're young and almost free
I've got to lose this skin I'm imprisoned in
Got to lose this skin I'm imprisoned in
Do not turn or hate to see
All the things you think we've got
Do not turn or hate to see
What happened to the wife of Lot
We're alone or so they say
We're not on our own in that way
When we're alone it's real tough going
We can take a part in someone else's play
Come with me, I thought he said
But that's not him anymore, he's dead
What's it like to be so free
So free it looks like lost to me
We're going on a ride
We meet each day, use time to see
While we're young and almost free
I've got to lose this skin I'm imprisoned in
Got to lose this skin I'm imprisoned in
Do not turn or hate to see
All the things you think we've got
Do not turn or hate to see
What happened to the wife of Lot
We're alone or so they say
We're not on our own in that way
When we're alone it's real tough going
We can take a part in someone else's play
Come with me, I thought he said
But that's not him anymore, he's dead
What's it like to be so free
So free it looks like lost to me
Lyrics submitted by aebassist
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Fast Car
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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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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.
who the hell is singing in this song?
@ThE_VANDAL Tymon Dogg, longtime friend of Joe Strummer of The Clash, also fiddle player on this song. And it's about heroin addiction. I knew that when I first heard it at 13 yrs old, before I was even smoking marijuana regularly. Now at 53 yrs old and having struggled with a heroin addiction off and on for the better part of the last 25 yrs or so, it's even more obvious to me. <br /> Lose this skin= heroin addicts struggling. Easy enough.