"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.
She waits for me at night
She waits for me in silence
She gives me all her tenderness
And takes away my pain
And so far she hasn't run
Though I swear she's had her moments
She still believes in miracles
While others cry in vain
It's all about soul
It's all about faith and a deeper devotion
It's all about soul
'Cause under the love is a stronger emotion
She's got to be strong
'Cause so many things getting out of control
Should drive her away, so why does she stay?
It's all about soul
She turns to me sometimes
And she asks me what I'm dreaming
And I realize I must have gone
A million miles away
And I ask her how she knew
To reach out for me at that moment
And she smiles because it's understood
There are no words to say
It's all about soul
It's all about knowing what someone is feeling
The woman's got soul
The power of love and the power of healing
This life isn't fair
It's gonna get dark, it's gonna get cold
You've got to get tough, but that ain't enough
It's all about soul
Ah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
There are people who have lost
Every trace of human kindness
There are many who have fallen
There are some who still survive
Ah, she comes to me at night
And she tells me her desires
And she gives me all the love I need
To keep my faith alive
It's all about soul
It's all about joy that comes out of sorrow
It's all about soul
Who's standing now, who's standing tomorrow
You've got to be hard
As hard as the rock in that old rock 'n' roll
But that's only part, you know in your heart
It's all about soul
Oh, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
All about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is, yeah-yeah-yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is, yeah-yeah-yeah
She waits for me in silence
She gives me all her tenderness
And takes away my pain
And so far she hasn't run
Though I swear she's had her moments
She still believes in miracles
While others cry in vain
It's all about soul
It's all about faith and a deeper devotion
It's all about soul
'Cause under the love is a stronger emotion
She's got to be strong
'Cause so many things getting out of control
Should drive her away, so why does she stay?
It's all about soul
She turns to me sometimes
And she asks me what I'm dreaming
And I realize I must have gone
A million miles away
And I ask her how she knew
To reach out for me at that moment
And she smiles because it's understood
There are no words to say
It's all about soul
It's all about knowing what someone is feeling
The woman's got soul
The power of love and the power of healing
This life isn't fair
It's gonna get dark, it's gonna get cold
You've got to get tough, but that ain't enough
It's all about soul
Ah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
There are people who have lost
Every trace of human kindness
There are many who have fallen
There are some who still survive
Ah, she comes to me at night
And she tells me her desires
And she gives me all the love I need
To keep my faith alive
It's all about soul
It's all about joy that comes out of sorrow
It's all about soul
Who's standing now, who's standing tomorrow
You've got to be hard
As hard as the rock in that old rock 'n' roll
But that's only part, you know in your heart
It's all about soul
Oh, yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
All about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is, yeah-yeah-yeah
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na (oh-oh-oh)
It's all about soul
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Yes, it is, yeah-yeah-yeah
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Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I always find this song particularly sad, because I think he wrote it for Christie Brinkley, saying how her strengths and soul have made his life complete...
and then she goes off and marries some other guy.
@MithrandirBo I thought so too. But in Concert in Raleigh NC, and probably other places, too, he said Christie thought it was about her, but it was about someone else. And he was mildly gleeful about it.