"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.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Sorry people, but i just found another possible meaning:
From the red sky of the east To the sunset in the west We have cheated death And he has cheated us
= First of all, this song is about a traveler. He made his journey always avoiding death, but he finds out that is impossible.
But that was just a dream And this is what it means We are sleeping And we'll dream for evermore
=He figure that he hasn't avoided death that much, and he thinks that everything is a dream.
And the fragment remains of our memories And the shadows remain with our hands Deep grey, came to mourn All the colours of the dawn Will this journeyman's day be his last?
=He think about his past and every bad things he has done. The "deeper grey" part is probably about a mist that hides the beauty of the morning, or, metaphorically, the good side of the people. He thinks that his journey will end.
I know what I want And I say what I want And no one can take it away I know what I want And I say what I want And no one can take it away
=He will continue his journey, no matter what.
But the memory still remains All the past years not so stange Our winter times are like a silent shroud
=All that the Journeyman had left behind is not so distant. Or he is speaking to someone that is part of his past, saying that he did not forgot.
And the heartbeat of the day Drives the mist away And winter's not the only dream around
=His past wasn't good, and is "fading like an old dream". Also, the mist makes it part again in this point.
In your life you may choose desolation And the shadows you build with your hands If you turn to the light That is burning in the night Then the journeyman's day has begun
=Now he's trying to convince the other person to free himself and search for a type of "illumination", and to become a journeyman too.
Journeyman's day will never end
A journeyman is not a traveler, it is a rank between apprentice and master.<br /> It means you have successfully completed your apprenticeship but have not yet reached the rank of master.
The first ever acoustic song by Iron Maiden, it's a heavy metal anthem, through and through. It's also my personal anthem. Fantastic song
Mmm, and possibly the first ever song tributing the journeyman. Huzzah for apprentices.
Can't beleive there not more comment about SUCH a song.
Strangely the first time I heard it I was reading about the game planescape and the song's been linked to the game ever since.
GREAT SONG
this is a really good song ... anywayz iron maiden rock !!
bruce said somewhere that this song is about being a musician.. not typical of iron maiden, but none the less, it's good that they did at least one acoustic track!
Agree, this song is my anthem. It is so me I don't know how they came up with such a song.
I think the meaning behind this song is that you should look to and face your future with courage and build upon the memories of your past. Bruce did say that this is a song about being a musician but I suppose you could apply it to anything in life. It's a superb song and sounds great live. The intro reminds me a little of 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas.
that is because the chord used, the A minor chord is also used in dust in the wind.<br /> the chord pregression is the same but the fingerpicking is different
I adore this song, a very surprising end to the Dance of Death album. Just as all the world was going mad for war in 2003, here along came a positive, warm song that helps to put your mind, body and spirit at peace with an air of quiet, solemn determination.
I first wondered if this had religious meaning. There are a few whispered vocals after the long instrumental section which are hard to make out, something about scripture? I'm neither a Christian nor mad, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't going out to these things!
Either way, it's wonderful. So much so that my wife and I had our First Dance to this song at our wedding in 2004.