"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.
Pop culture with a pin
Watch it wheeze in the air like a dying balloon
A mistake dawned on me
And the rest of my tribe: "Your wish is my command"
No really, it's OK
Give yourself a group hug and a pat on the back
No really, it's alright
Pose your best for a shot from the firing squad
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare
Pop culture with a pill
Watch it make all the worms in your mind disappear
Maybe so, maybe not
Never sure if it's me underneath a white sheet
Halloween Halloween
With a mask I can be your new friend for a while
Trick or treat, trick or treat
There's a razorblade inside your candy bar
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare, dare
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Pop culture on your skin
You cannot keep your fingers away from your face
Memories are haunting me
Like fish floating dead at the top of a tank
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare, dare
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
On a dare, dare
On a dare, dare!
Watch it wheeze in the air like a dying balloon
A mistake dawned on me
And the rest of my tribe: "Your wish is my command"
No really, it's OK
Give yourself a group hug and a pat on the back
No really, it's alright
Pose your best for a shot from the firing squad
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare
Pop culture with a pill
Watch it make all the worms in your mind disappear
Maybe so, maybe not
Never sure if it's me underneath a white sheet
Halloween Halloween
With a mask I can be your new friend for a while
Trick or treat, trick or treat
There's a razorblade inside your candy bar
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare, dare
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
Pop culture on your skin
You cannot keep your fingers away from your face
Memories are haunting me
Like fish floating dead at the top of a tank
Sneak a gun through the gates of heaven
Raiding tomorrow's prayers with a stained silver bullet
Oh how it kills me waiting to follow through
On a dare, dare
Choosing my defence
I'll stay on the fence
On a dare, dare
On a dare, dare!
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
BURN! PS: I dig the hell outta this song.