"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.
What does friend mean to you?
A word so wrongfully abused
Are you like me, confused?
All included but you
Alone
The sounds of silence often soothe
Shapes and colors shift with mood
Pupils widen, change their hue
Rapid brown avoid clear blue
Why's it have to be this way?
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Flowers watched through wide eyes bloom
A child sings an unclaimed tune
Innocence spins cold cocoon
Grow to see the pain too soon
Why's it have to be this way?
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
At 7 AM
On a Tuesday in August
Next week I'll be 28
I'm still young, it'll be me
Off the wall, I scraped you
I gotta wake, it comes this way
I can't wait no more
It comes this way (it comes this way)
To drown this ache
To reinstate (Everyone dead, everyone)
(You put me through) Take your place (Put me through hell)
Heaven direct your shape (Heaven direct)
You see I can do it so well
Your expiration date
Your expiration date
Fate, date
Expiration date
This one is gonna last too, hate
Never gonna fuck with me again
My own clean slate
Don't fuck with me again
Makes your eyes dilate
Makes you shake
Irate
A word so wrongfully abused
Are you like me, confused?
All included but you
Alone
The sounds of silence often soothe
Shapes and colors shift with mood
Pupils widen, change their hue
Rapid brown avoid clear blue
Why's it have to be this way?
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Flowers watched through wide eyes bloom
A child sings an unclaimed tune
Innocence spins cold cocoon
Grow to see the pain too soon
Why's it have to be this way?
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
Be this way
At 7 AM
On a Tuesday in August
Next week I'll be 28
I'm still young, it'll be me
Off the wall, I scraped you
I gotta wake, it comes this way
I can't wait no more
It comes this way (it comes this way)
To drown this ache
To reinstate (Everyone dead, everyone)
(You put me through) Take your place (Put me through hell)
Heaven direct your shape (Heaven direct)
You see I can do it so well
Your expiration date
Your expiration date
Fate, date
Expiration date
This one is gonna last too, hate
Never gonna fuck with me again
My own clean slate
Don't fuck with me again
Makes your eyes dilate
Makes you shake
Irate
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Fast Car
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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Wow... I'm totally going to have to listen to this one again now... nice interp. To me this song has always seemed to be about betrayal, it feels like when a friend or someone you trust stabs you in the back...but I'm sure its really about drugs. (Stupid stupid sexy Layne!) >:/