"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 don't plan anything
I'm trying to come home thoughts of
You are always on my mind a runaway
From problems my excuse when I am there
You roll over once again I'm gone I'm old
It's plain to see a life of tragedy save
It for later that's what we always said what
Will that do for us tried to paint a picture
Of the time that we once shared you never
Seemed to be so concerned story goes like
This you say I'm almost never there independent
Is what you've always want an arm to hold on
Someone to sleep next to in the night rolling
Over once again I'm gone look through the
Backlog and index of thoughts this time
It won't get to me.
I'm trying to come home thoughts of
You are always on my mind a runaway
From problems my excuse when I am there
You roll over once again I'm gone I'm old
It's plain to see a life of tragedy save
It for later that's what we always said what
Will that do for us tried to paint a picture
Of the time that we once shared you never
Seemed to be so concerned story goes like
This you say I'm almost never there independent
Is what you've always want an arm to hold on
Someone to sleep next to in the night rolling
Over once again I'm gone look through the
Backlog and index of thoughts this time
It won't get to me.
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
yeah he's with this girl that he likes but sometimes he would rather be home by himself because there's some kinda problem in the relationship he can't deal with (a runaway from problems)
This is how I hear the song:
I don't plan anything I'm trying to come home Thoughts of you are always on my mind A runaway from problems, my excuse when I am there You roll over - once again I'm gone
It's old, it's plain to see this life of tragedy Save it for later - that's what we always said What will that do for us? What will they do for us? What will they do for us now?
Tried to paint a picture of the times that we once shared Never seemed to be so concerned
The story goes like this... You say I'm almost never there Independence is what you want An arm to hold on, someone to sleep next to in the night Rolling over - once again I'm gone
Look through the backlog, and index of thoughts This time it won't get to me What will that do for us? What will we do for us? What will we do for us now?
I tried to paint a picture of the time we once shared Never seemed to be so concerned
Silence I describe - we're barely hanging on and on
(And I don't plan anything I'm never comin' home Thoughts of you are on my mind So I'm never gone...)
What will we do for us?
@k98lemur thank you from the future