"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 thought it was funny when you missed the train
When I rang you at home they said you left yesterday
I thought it was strange when your car was found
By the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well I hope you're safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving you more
And who he would become, all the things he'd have done
Would he have loved you, and not let you down
And would he be stronger than his father
Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well I hope you're safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving you more
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving, loving you more.
When I rang you at home they said you left yesterday
I thought it was strange when your car was found
By the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well I hope you're safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving you more
And who he would become, all the things he'd have done
Would he have loved you, and not let you down
And would he be stronger than his father
Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone
Dear Isobel
I hope you're well and what you've done is right
Oh it's been such hell
I wish you well I hope you're safe tonight
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving you more
It's been a long day coming and long will it last
When it's last day leaving, and I'm helping it pass by loving, loving you more.
Lyrics submitted by Radioactive Man, edited by Misio
Isobel Lyrics as written by Rollo Armstrong Dido Armstrong
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I think I remember hearing that it's about one of Dido's friends going to have an abortion... "Who he would become, all the things he'd have done, Would he have loved you and not let you down, And would he be stronger than his father, Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone"
My wife's take on this song combines the abortion and suicide theories. Isobel has the abortion and then feels so overwhelmed with guilt that she kills herself. In any case, it seems like the lyrics are ambiguous enough to embrace any of these ideas.
Maybe the song is about suicide ANDabortion, like she was pregnant and she killed both herself and the baby?
i thought it was maybe she killed herself but lines like 'i hope you're safe tonight' and 'im helping it pass' maybe make me think its just that shes left but forever. But its does have that haunting feeling throughout. This is my fav on the album after much deliberation, have u noticed its so hard to choose one!
I think she killed herself and this is a very very sad one... but still such a bittersweet song....
i think isobel may have killed herself or just runaway because she was scared of someone or something. maybe she came from an abusive relationship and she could have been pregnant even. i agree it is a real sad song and very touching. i love it.
I think that this is about a friend of Dido's who is missing for a long time.I really think that the "pregnancy" and the "abortion" theory might be right and that Isobel has left home because she wanted to keep the baby and her parents/lover didn't.It is a sad song but I like it because it shows that Dido loves her friend
I feel like this song is about Isobel's abortion and the guilt that she feels for it, and Dido is worried that she has killed herself out of guilt.
"And who he would become by the things he'd have done Would he have loved you and not let you down And would he be stronger than his father Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone"
Well I always believed it was about suicide, but now when I read the comments about the pregnancy and the abortion, I think that the song might be after all about a combination of both cases, I think Isobel had a boyfriend who left her once he knew she got pregnant and then she had to kill herself thinking that it was the only solution to liberate her from her misery, then the part where Dido sings " And who he would become by the things he'd have done ....." I think she is like mourning the unborn child, that innocently died, stating that he might have loved his mom more than his father and he might have been stronger to sick to her side and look after her, unlike his father.
You know... I always thought that the way she phrased two of the lines was interesting.
"By the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around"
The word 'hang' has a kind of ominous meaning to me. Like, maybe there's a reason that specific word was chosen instead of something else. Maybe it has a double meaning & Isobel hung herself? Just my two cents.
yeah...but where is ENNIS????!!!!
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Woah, now I think of it your version makes sense! With the fact the car was found there - who does leave their car somewhere? They either died literally or metaphorically (they left their past life behind and started a new one.)
@dragonsilk Please forgive the spam! First time replying on this site and it caught some bug with it.
I think that the part about her (Isobel) not knowing whether "he" would be stronger than his father speaks of an abusive relationship. Maybe he attacked her and she killed him and ran. Maybe she will have to pay for her crime. Possibly Isobel's relationship was with a boy they grew up with who they all knew and they knew his father was an abusive alcoholic and they all thought "he" would be stronger. Then again maybe they planned for Isobel to come see Dido and something happened...a fight and Dido's afraid that Isobel is hurt or hurt herself...but leaving was right....sorry for all the running on, I ran out of breath typing.