"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.
A time so haunting moonlight in the mist
Lay me down beside you oh as long as it lasts
From the river comes a figure
Drifting slowly by
Trailing long the water leaving softer
Than a sigh softer than a sigh
All the feelings they remain like a
Still life a dying swansong forever
Lost your cries of glory
The rain is falling down like silence
In a shroud
When all that really matters left to
Loose I'm all alone I'm all alone
All the feelings they remain like a still
Life a dying swansong forever lost your
Cries of glory
Walking from the shadows a fear of
Sadness grows
Your heart is in your hands your knowing
Looks
Our time is gone
My time is gone
Swans dying song
Lay me down beside you oh as long as it lasts
From the river comes a figure
Drifting slowly by
Trailing long the water leaving softer
Than a sigh softer than a sigh
All the feelings they remain like a
Still life a dying swansong forever
Lost your cries of glory
The rain is falling down like silence
In a shroud
When all that really matters left to
Loose I'm all alone I'm all alone
All the feelings they remain like a still
Life a dying swansong forever lost your
Cries of glory
Walking from the shadows a fear of
Sadness grows
Your heart is in your hands your knowing
Looks
Our time is gone
My time is gone
Swans dying song
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
This song is beautiful. Gosh I want to hear a live version.
This song is great. I think it is about love but I am not sure. I need to read over the lyrics more. Its unusual to me that no one has commented yet!
About a great love lost. Swan's mate for life. This love was, for the speaker -- a true love..something they thought would last forever, but they are left heart broken. This is their song to the lover lost.