"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.
Every man has a place
In his heart, there's a space
And the world can't erase his fantasies
Take a ride in the sky
On our ship, Fantasy
All your dreams will come true right away
And we will live together
Until the Twelfth of Never
Our voices will ring forever as one
Every thought is a dream
Rushing by in a stream
Bringing life to the kingdom of doing
Take a ride in the sky
On our ship, Fantasy
All your dreams will come true miles away
Our voices will ring together
Until the Twelfth of Never
We all will live love forever as one
Come to see victory
In the land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life, a new degree
Bring your mind to everlasting liberty
As one
Come to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
You will find (You will find)
Other kind (Other kind)
That has been in search of you
Many lives has brought you to
Recognize (Recognize) it's your life now in review
And, as you stay for the play
Fantasy has in store for you,
Glowing light will see you through
It's your day, shining day,
All your dreams come true
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
And to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
As you glide in your stride
With the wind as you fly away
Give a smile from your lips and say,
"I am free. Yes, I'm free. Now, I'm on my way"
Ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-oh!
Come to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-ah!
You will find other kind
That has been in search of you
Many lives has brought you to
Recognize it's your life now in review
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
Ho-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh!
In his heart, there's a space
And the world can't erase his fantasies
Take a ride in the sky
On our ship, Fantasy
All your dreams will come true right away
And we will live together
Until the Twelfth of Never
Our voices will ring forever as one
Every thought is a dream
Rushing by in a stream
Bringing life to the kingdom of doing
Take a ride in the sky
On our ship, Fantasy
All your dreams will come true miles away
Our voices will ring together
Until the Twelfth of Never
We all will live love forever as one
Come to see victory
In the land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life, a new degree
Bring your mind to everlasting liberty
As one
Come to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
You will find (You will find)
Other kind (Other kind)
That has been in search of you
Many lives has brought you to
Recognize (Recognize) it's your life now in review
And, as you stay for the play
Fantasy has in store for you,
Glowing light will see you through
It's your day, shining day,
All your dreams come true
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
And to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
As you glide in your stride
With the wind as you fly away
Give a smile from your lips and say,
"I am free. Yes, I'm free. Now, I'm on my way"
Ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-oh!
Come to see victory
In a land called 'Fantasy'
Loving life for you and me
To behold, to your soul is ecstasy
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-ah!
You will find other kind
That has been in search of you
Many lives has brought you to
Recognize it's your life now in review
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ah!
Ho-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh!
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by Kennyg2019
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Who doesn’t love this song? It calls us to some deep soul ecstasy of togetherness. The meaning is just vague enough that we can all put our personal beliefs on it. If the lyrics had been more specific it would never have had the broad appeal or been as big a hit.
It is one beautiful, beguiling trap that can lead you astray into New Age mysticism. By mixing just enough truth about the ecstasy of regeneration and purity in Christ Jesus with the false idea that deep soul liberty can be found outside of Him. This is the deceivers best, selling you on the idea of being your own god… and that liberty can be found anywhere besides in Jesus.
Jesus invented liberty, in fact He demands it! For only in liberty can love exist. His laws protect it. Friends, the joy hinted at in this song can be found by you in Him. God bless you.