"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 freight train to the right
Feeling that sting of pride
It's fucking with me, it's fucking with you
All's fair in love and war
Until you say it isn't but you're wrong
Words on the back of flyers
My clothes are in the dryer
It means nothing, nothing is changing
La familia is dead and gone
The children grew up and moved on
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
Prime select and a box of glazed
Pulling fly-bys on days when we were young and innocent
Elbow-drop Sundays when Mark Eaton got beat to shit
Laugh at the bands we hate
All the spots we used to skate
Well they're still there, but we've gone our own ways
I know it's for the best but sometimes I wonder
Will I ever have friends like you again?
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
You're gonna drown in the mess you make
Your self-inflicted hate
You turn your back on the friends you lose
When they don't follow all your rules
But people are what they wanna be
They're not lemmings to the sea
Maybe it's time you looked at yourself
And stop blaming life on someone else
Feeling that sting of pride
It's fucking with me, it's fucking with you
All's fair in love and war
Until you say it isn't but you're wrong
Words on the back of flyers
My clothes are in the dryer
It means nothing, nothing is changing
La familia is dead and gone
The children grew up and moved on
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
Prime select and a box of glazed
Pulling fly-bys on days when we were young and innocent
Elbow-drop Sundays when Mark Eaton got beat to shit
Laugh at the bands we hate
All the spots we used to skate
Well they're still there, but we've gone our own ways
I know it's for the best but sometimes I wonder
Will I ever have friends like you again?
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
Is it too much to ask for the things to work out this time?
I'm only asking for what is mine
I wanted everything, I got it and now I'm gonna
Throw it away, I'll throw it away, yeah
You're gonna drown in the mess you make
Your self-inflicted hate
You turn your back on the friends you lose
When they don't follow all your rules
But people are what they wanna be
They're not lemmings to the sea
Maybe it's time you looked at yourself
And stop blaming life on someone else
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Holiday
Bee Gees
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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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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.
I read on a site what Mark said this song was about. Ot was about a friend he had, who expected everyone to be "lemmings". Lemmings are animals who follow each other and jump into the sea to their deaths. I did some research on why a little while back, but it says nobody knows for sure why. Anyway, his friend expected everyone to follow him and do what he does. Hence the line "People are what they want to be, they're not lemmings to the sea." That's what it said at cb182.com. I love this song. It's my fav. song from Blink ever.