"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's all this talk of a notion?
I'd rather drink from the ocean
What did you mean when you said no?
I only want what is best for you
Well I won't ever let you drown
No I won't ever let you down
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
There is no way to recover
You told me there is no other
The surface is getting hotter
Well I'll shove your head under water
But I won't ever let you drown
No, I won't ever let you down
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
Shut up
I know
I said so
Shut up
'Cause I know
I said so
I'd rather drink from the ocean
What did you mean when you said no?
I only want what is best for you
Well I won't ever let you drown
No I won't ever let you down
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
There is no way to recover
You told me there is no other
The surface is getting hotter
Well I'll shove your head under water
But I won't ever let you drown
No, I won't ever let you down
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
'Cause I am my enemy
The water's up to the knee
I never wanted nothin' from you
Yes I do, yes I do
My engine's runnin' on dry
My head's so fucked up inside
Shut up
I know
I said so
Shut up
I know
I said so
Shut up
'Cause I know
I said so
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
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.
This story seems to be more of a personal one inside a person's head. He is in some serious crap and refuses to acknowledge to someone else that he needs help although in his head he knows he does. This could also be between two people. One person basically says he will always protect that person when he can't even help himself. So many ways this could go to be honest.