"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.
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days
And you don't know how or why, but you've lost your way
Have no fear when your tears are fallin'
I will hear your spirit callin'
And I swear I'll be there come what may
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
I will come to you
'Cause even if we can't be together
We'll be friends now and forever
And I swear that I'll be there come what may
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
We all need somebody we can turn to
Someone who'll always understand
So if you feel that your soul is dyin'
And you need the strength to keep tryin'
I'll reach out and take your hand
I'll reach out and take your hand
Oh, I will come to you
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
And no one to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days
And you don't know how or why, but you've lost your way
Have no fear when your tears are fallin'
I will hear your spirit callin'
And I swear I'll be there come what may
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
I will come to you
'Cause even if we can't be together
We'll be friends now and forever
And I swear that I'll be there come what may
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
We all need somebody we can turn to
Someone who'll always understand
So if you feel that your soul is dyin'
And you need the strength to keep tryin'
I'll reach out and take your hand
I'll reach out and take your hand
Oh, I will come to you
When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
When the night is dark and stormy
You won't have to reach out for me
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
I will come to you
Oh, I will come to you
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I don't normally listen to Hanson but I love this song. AliMarie is right, it is full of meaning. It has extra meaning for me because this and Tomorrow Never Dies were the first two songs I heard on the radio when I got back from my dad's funeral, and it was the right piece of music for that time of my life. Just lovely.