"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.
I should warn you,
I go to sleep.
I know you don't know what I mean.
Yet.
I get upset or happy I go to sleep.
Nothing hurts when I go to sleep.
But I'm not tired, I'm not tired.
I know it seems that I don't care,
But something in me does, I swear.
I don't remember all last year.
I left you awake to cry the tears,
While I was dreaming in streams
Flowing between the shores
Of joy and sadness
Oh!
I'm drowning, save me, wake me up!
I should warn you, I go to sleep.
You won't know when I go to sleep.
Because I'm not tired,
I'm not tired,
I just sleep.
I go to sleep.
I know you don't know what I mean.
Yet.
I get upset or happy I go to sleep.
Nothing hurts when I go to sleep.
But I'm not tired, I'm not tired.
I know it seems that I don't care,
But something in me does, I swear.
I don't remember all last year.
I left you awake to cry the tears,
While I was dreaming in streams
Flowing between the shores
Of joy and sadness
Oh!
I'm drowning, save me, wake me up!
I should warn you, I go to sleep.
You won't know when I go to sleep.
Because I'm not tired,
I'm not tired,
I just sleep.
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Fast Car
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~ This song is about NARCOLEPSY, that's why the title of the song is NARCOLEPSY. Ben can't explain any simpler than titling it 'Narcolepsy'.
Most that left comments sadly didn't/don't have a clue or bothered in the slightest to learn what Narcolepsy is!!! It is nothing to laugh at unless you are cruel : (
Research and knowledge are good things and so easily obtained now days with the internet at our fingertips.
When I seen 32 comments on this song I actually thought they would be from people who lived with narcolepsy or knew someone with it... but nope (but I haven't read p.2 yet).
Only a few understood, figured out that a song titled 'Narcolepsy' is a song about about NARCOLEPSY... A terrible neurological chronic sleep disorder that causes those who have it a lot of suffering : (
My, once upon on a time, sweetheart from 27 years ago lives with narcolepsy. Ben's song (thank you Ben) describes a bit about how daily life is living with it : (
27 years ago we had a bad wreak, he fell asleep at the wheel, he said he didn't feel tired or he would have pulled over, we had even just past a rest area a few miles back, and we were only going 36 miles.
I ALWAYS believed him. I NEVER once blamed him but he wouldn't/couldn't stop blaming himself. I didn't know how to help him to stop blaming, doubting himself. It broke us up : ) but we have ALWAYS remained Friends (forever).
Research on narcolepsy explains that it starts appearing in late teen and early adulthood but sadly it takes an average of 15 years before the correct diagnose is made : (
My sweetheart was 21 when the wreak happened. It/narcolepsy changed our lives forever.
He LIVES/SUFFERS with all that is narcolepsy every single day of his life.
Now, at least he should KNOW that the jeep wreak was NOT his fault, yet sadly I feel like he still might be blaming himself, I don't know, he still won't talk about the wreak 27 years later.
Sly ~
I'm sorry to hear that, but Ben has explained that the song is about emotional Narcolepsy, not the actual medical condition. I do know what real Narcolepsy is, as does Ben, but what he is getting at in this song is that people (I think he's refering more to men) shut down emotional when faced with a very stressful or very exciting situation. Of course taking the literal meaning of the song is fine too, if that's more personal.