"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.
It's been a long, long while
Since we've been strung out on love
And there's no mask of a smile
That can hide what we're thinkin' of
From your heart I hear
Only distant echoes of empty love
I guess this must be the match point of our love
Early in the game
When you broke me just like a serve (match point, match point)
We should've walked off the court
But we both didn't have the nerve (match point, match point)
So we volleyed a while with small talk and a smile
And as push comes to shove
I'd say this must be the match point of our love
No one ever held me the way you did
No one could ever love me the way you did
How could love slip away from me?
In life's lonely game
Love too often can let you down (match point, match point)
And though no one's to blame
Love is still the only game in town (match point, match point)
When it's love's last play
You can only say by the stars above
That this must be the match point of our love
Da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Since we've been strung out on love
And there's no mask of a smile
That can hide what we're thinkin' of
From your heart I hear
Only distant echoes of empty love
I guess this must be the match point of our love
Early in the game
When you broke me just like a serve (match point, match point)
We should've walked off the court
But we both didn't have the nerve (match point, match point)
So we volleyed a while with small talk and a smile
And as push comes to shove
I'd say this must be the match point of our love
No one ever held me the way you did
No one could ever love me the way you did
How could love slip away from me?
In life's lonely game
Love too often can let you down (match point, match point)
And though no one's to blame
Love is still the only game in town (match point, match point)
When it's love's last play
You can only say by the stars above
That this must be the match point of our love
Da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
Da-da-da da-da, da-da da da-da-da (match point, match point)
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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.
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Kind of inetresting to have the metaphor of a tennis match to a relationship, but this is a mediocre-at-best song, and goes on too long once the verses stop.