"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.
Well I remember all the nights I used to stay at home
On the phone all night long
Used to talk about all the things
We really wanted do
I believed in you
I remember how you used to say
"Have no fear, be OK"
When you told me anything you want is possible
We could have it all
I believed in you
Must have been a fool
All my dreams were with you
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you, babe, it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
Well now you got to where you wanted like I knew you would
Cash, car, house, it's all good
It's the why you never come
Around here no more
Like you did before
Got it all that's the way it seems
Looked like you lived your dream
And I hope you're life has turned out for the better now
When I'm not around
I believed in you
Must have been a fool
All my dreams were with you
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you, babe, it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
It's alright, it's OK (it's alright)
It's alright, it's OK (it's ok)
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you babe it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more (no more)
You're not here but it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
It's alright, it's OK (it's alright)
It's alright, it's OK (it's ok)
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here but it's OK
On the phone all night long
Used to talk about all the things
We really wanted do
I believed in you
I remember how you used to say
"Have no fear, be OK"
When you told me anything you want is possible
We could have it all
I believed in you
Must have been a fool
All my dreams were with you
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you, babe, it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
Well now you got to where you wanted like I knew you would
Cash, car, house, it's all good
It's the why you never come
Around here no more
Like you did before
Got it all that's the way it seems
Looked like you lived your dream
And I hope you're life has turned out for the better now
When I'm not around
I believed in you
Must have been a fool
All my dreams were with you
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you, babe, it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
It's alright, it's OK (it's alright)
It's alright, it's OK (it's ok)
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
I say it's OK, I can promise you it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up, all night
No more
You're not here but it's OK
I assure you babe it's alright
You ain't keepin' me up all night
No more (no more)
You're not here but it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here with me
It's alright, it's OK (it's alright)
It's alright, it's OK (it's ok)
It's alright, it's OK
You're not here but it's OK
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
Definitely agree with festijunk, nothing wrong with a little pop now and then and Atomic Kitten are the best to turn to for that!