"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.
"don't go there" I heard her say
"you can't stomach what you're going to see"
It's down there, by the water's edge
wasted and bloated and waiting for someone else
funny how, these things come about
when you're tied to the teeth and mouth
no sound of fury, no shot of pain
there was no real reason, no gain
I can't go down to the water's edge
I didn't do it...I saw who did
Don't go down to the water's edge
they did it once and they can do it again
it ain't no secret to me
how she got there down by the stream
I'd seen her the minute before the van pulled up and opened
the door (took all my love)
but I can't say a single word
about what I saw of her
her killers...they got their friends
in familiar places, I tell you man
this ain't no fucking game
and I'm feeling so ashamed
because I didn't do anything
no I didn't do anything
to stop this from happening
I didn't do a thing
I swear
"you can't stomach what you're going to see"
It's down there, by the water's edge
wasted and bloated and waiting for someone else
funny how, these things come about
when you're tied to the teeth and mouth
no sound of fury, no shot of pain
there was no real reason, no gain
I can't go down to the water's edge
I didn't do it...I saw who did
Don't go down to the water's edge
they did it once and they can do it again
it ain't no secret to me
how she got there down by the stream
I'd seen her the minute before the van pulled up and opened
the door (took all my love)
but I can't say a single word
about what I saw of her
her killers...they got their friends
in familiar places, I tell you man
this ain't no fucking game
and I'm feeling so ashamed
because I didn't do anything
no I didn't do anything
to stop this from happening
I didn't do a thing
I swear
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Water's Edge Lyrics as written by Jason Ross Jason Pollock
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
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.
The singer witnessed an abduction of an innocent. He doesn't do anything because he's scared for his own life and so just let's the abductors kill the victim who's only wrong doing is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Later the body washes up on the shores of the river and a friend tells the singer not to go down there. He does anyway and recognizes the innocent victim that was murdered in front of him.
He wants to do the right thing and turn the killers in but he knows that the murderers have killed once and killing him wouldn't bother them in the slightest. Even though the singer isn't the one who murdered the innocent, he still feels he contributed to her death because he did nothing.
The last line really drives this home when the singer practically screams "I should have done... something"
This song is about a guy who is warned to not go down by the river or w/e and he does it anyways, and he sees a dead body...he feels guilty b/c he saw it happen, and he saw who did it but didnt do anything about it...the line "They did it once, They can do it again"....i think it means that theyve already killed, theyre not afraid to do it again, so he should keep quiet..And the line.."The Van pulled up and opened the door (took all my love)..he saw them kidnap the person (maybe the woman he loves?) What does everyone esle think?
I believe it is talkin about a goat sacrifice him and his friends made while they were drunk and now it has washed up on the shore of the river and every1 has found out about the animal brutality and he just had a buzz and he feels bad because he could have stopped the sacrifice but he didn't.
This is in my opinion a really good song. The lyrics themselves are creepy though. Like some sort of cry for help..a message of a sort. I would like to know what it really means....
ya everytime i listen to this song, certain parts stick out..like something bad happened that he saw, but didn;t stop or something
This song is about a guy who is warned to not go down by the river or w/e and he does it anyways, and he sees a dead body...he feels guilty b/c he saw it happen, and he saw who did it but didnt do anything about it...the line "They did it once, They can do it again"....i think it means that theyve already killed, theyre not afraid to do it again, so he should keep quiet..And the line.."The Van pulled up and opened the door (took all my love)..he saw them kidnap the person (maybe the woman he loves?) What does everyone esle think?
@SexyAss14 <br /> <br /> I think that the part where he says "took all my love" was the fact that what he had witnessed was something that he just couldn't imagine could be done, by anyone, and I think it took away all the love he had for humanity.<br /> Another thing, I don't believe he witnessed the murder itself, but he was there when the van pulled up to drop the body off. <br /> I drempt this song before it came out. Man it seemed so real.
i actually think that this song has a much deeper meaning than the literal lyrics... its a good song, and like webchef said, the lyrics are pretty creepy - but i really think there is an underlying theme or message here.....
I really have a hard time listening to this song. It describes an event in my life almost word for word. We had a girl kidnapped and murdered near the town I live in and the way the crime happened fit the lyrics perfect. She was picked up by guys in a van and killed. She was found by the edge of a river. It's really quite disturbing.
This is my interpretation of the song. I've divided it up like the lyrics of the song. Just my opinion.
"Don't go looking for my problems because they are too much for you too handle. They're left behind me, ugly and torn - waiting for someone else to discover them"
Funny how your problems come about, when you're inhibited from saying anything. There's no scream for pain. There's no real reason, no gain from these problems
I can't go and find her problems. I didn't go, but I know who did. Don't go looking for them, I know someone who did it once - and I know they can do it again
It's no secret to me how she left her problems behind Because I saw her before, and saw them snatch her heart up and take her away
I can't say anything about the things I saw. These problems, they have companions, close to home, my friend
It's no secret to me how she left her problems behind. Because I saw her before, and saw them snatch her heart up and take her away
This isn't a game - it's real. I'm ashamed because I didn't help her through them. I didn't do anything to prevent this from happening.
"Don't go looking for my problems because they are too much for you too handle. They're left behind me, ugly and torn - waiting for someone else to discover them"
I didn't do a thing, and I should have helped her out.
shit snoop, cracka, skrillas,