"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.
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
We suffer everyday, what is it for?
These crimes of illusion are fooling us all
And now I am weary and I feel like I do
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
The size of our fight
It's just a dream
We've crushed everything I can see
In this mourning selfishly
How we fell and I feel like I do
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip- like-, flip- like-, flip-)
(Flip it like that)
Now that we've chosen to take all we can
This shade of autumn, a stale bitter end
Years of frustration lay down side by side
And It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
We suffer everyday, what is it for?
These crimes of illusion are fooling us all
And now I am weary and I feel like I do
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
The size of our fight
It's just a dream
We've crushed everything I can see
In this mourning selfishly
How we fell and I feel like I do
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip it like that)
(Flip- like-, flip- like-, flip-)
(Flip it like that)
Now that we've chosen to take all we can
This shade of autumn, a stale bitter end
Years of frustration lay down side by side
And It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
It's only you
Who can tell me apart
And it's only you
Who can turn my wooden heart
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
It seems to me this song is about a society in a country that people are trying to change for the better, but its a difficult struggle. It also seems like she loves her country ("its only you who can tell me apart, its only you who can turn my wooden heart") but things could be better, and its because she loves her country that she, and other people, want to fix problems.
Of course, I haven't seen the video..so I could be off base.
I beleive she is warning/illuminating/identifying with - the fact that the reins of direction in the world have been passed to those behind a veil of secrecy in which the goals are to confuse and keep blind the masses. Keeping everyone in a submissive state ignorant of any truth of who we really are and what their true agenda is. We have failed to recognized this illusion. "Its only you", could refer to a spiritual/deep/aware state of conciousness which she experiances. To be told apart from the ignorant masses and be recognized through an indepentant state of being.
If you don't like it, then don't comment. As simple as that.
This emotion she's getting at is an allusion not only to a relationship, but to a country's promise, or the love she's found within that country. Although everything's failed, amazingly enough, what other choice has she except the place she's married to, or in her place whereing she's married to, or her man. Awesome how her heart can be turned like a tree rooting her in place that only the actual grounds that she's planted in decide her position despite what frustrations she may have had to overcome or to not overcome.
Amazing song. The Great part is that it shows how (in my mind) it shows that even being free doesnt really mean being free. If you have seen the music video yeah see a kid floating around listening to a voice saying "Just Like That" which means he is doing what the voice is saying to him. Also midway through it, it shows him trying to touch the girls hand and he is quickly pulled away. (Also I think this is based on 1984).
I don't know why I said that. I really do love Portishead. sigh
I think this song is so powerful... The way it's sung seems to show that she really needs help and it's only him who can ease her pain.
I beleive she is warning/illuminating/identifying with - the fact that the reins of direction in the world have been passed to those behind a veil of secrecy in which the goals are to confuse and keep blind the masses. Keeping everyone in a submissive state ignorant of any truth of who we really are and what their true agenda is. We have failed to recognized this illusion. "Its only you", could refer to a spiritual/deep/aware state of conciousness which she experiances. To be told apart from the ignorant masses and be recognized through an indepentant state of being.
This band was amazing. I only wish I could have gotten into them while they were still together. THis song is simply amazing. Her voice is so rich with emotion and sincerity that I almost feel guilty for having her open up so much. She gives so much in her music, it's incredible.
The song to mea, speaks of a bittersweet relationship. There is love but the pain is outweighing it. I feel as if both people are hurting themselves by trying to hold onto somethign that is terrbily wrong for them.
Actually the band never broke up, People just think that 'cause it takes them ages to record a new album.<br /> <br /> But they never broke up, In fact their gonna be in the Benicà ssim Festival along with the Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Primal Scream.
I Love this song!!!!
CORRECTION: This band IS amazing...they are back in the studio as we speak!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!! They are my favorite all time band...you should check out Beth's solo album too if you get a chance!! Her voice carries more emotion than any other!!