"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.
Slow walk, it's land mine
It's coal mine, it's a bad thought
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
I'm trying to get my head clear
I push things out through my mouth, I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs, my heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore
The ravens and the seagulls push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward
In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff, and my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo
We tore one down, and erected another there
The match of the century, absence versus thin air
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow
The days go so slow, the days go slow
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
I'm tried getting my head clear
I push things out through my mouth, I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears, I get refilled through my ears
I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs, my heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore,
the ravens and the seagulls push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward
In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff, and my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo
We tore one down, and erected another there
The match of the century, absence versus thin air
Absence versus thin air
On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow
The days go so slow
It's coal mine, it's a bad thought
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
I'm trying to get my head clear
I push things out through my mouth, I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs, my heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore
The ravens and the seagulls push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward
In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff, and my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo
We tore one down, and erected another there
The match of the century, absence versus thin air
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow
The days go so slow, the days go slow
On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger, and my heart's the coal
I'm tried getting my head clear
I push things out through my mouth, I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears, I get refilled through my ears
I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs, my heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore,
the ravens and the seagulls push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward
In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff, and my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo
We tore one down, and erected another there
The match of the century, absence versus thin air
Absence versus thin air
On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow
The days go so slow
Lyrics submitted by PLANES, edited by Ryuhza, Altruism101
Heart Cooks Brain Lyrics as written by Isaac Brock Eric Judy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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 almost feel this song is about someone unhappy with their life, but more specifically their decisions. Every time they come to a fork in the road, instead of considering both logic and emotion or want and need they sacrifice one for the other. "My brain's the burger and my heart's the coal" is an example of running with passion and what they want. Only considering their fantasies for proof of reason to choose one way instead of looking at reality. Creating a decision pleasing for only a short amount of time until it crumbles apart revealing the hard truths of society and reality. "My brain's the cliff and my heart's the bitter buffalo" illustrates only considering logic instead of desire, which can be just as fatal. If you only look at what logically is a good and a safe decision, may being someone's choice in job or partner, it could last and be safe choice. But without at least considering desire you're only giving yourself what the world thinks you need. Taking chances for thing you love becomes an impossibility and true happiness a never ending race. This person can never make a sound decision. Everything they choose never works out they way they thought or lusted.
@RemiGrimm This is the correct take