"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.
Your gun went off.
Well you shot off your mouth and look where it got you.
My mouth runs on too.
Shouts from both sides,
"Well we've got the land but they've got the view!"
Well now here's the clue.
Life it rents us.
And yeah I hope it put plenty on you.
Well I hope mine did too.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Then I feel pretty blissfully.
Your gun went off.
Well you shot off your mouth and look where it got you.
My mouth runs on too.
Shouts from both sides,
"Well we've got the land but they've got the view!"
Well now here's the clue.
We are fixed right where we stand.
Life it rents us.
And yeah I hope it put plenty on you.
Well I hope mine did too.
We are fixed right where we are.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well if feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
For every invention made how much time did we save?
We're not much farther than we were in the cave.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer,
And it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
If life's not beautiful without the pain,
Well I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again.
Well as life gets longer, awful feels softer.
And it feels pretty soft to me.
For every good deed done there is a crime committed.
We are fixed.
For every step ahead we could have just been seated.
We are fixed.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
We are fixed.
We are fixed.
We are fixed right where we stand.
Well you shot off your mouth and look where it got you.
My mouth runs on too.
Shouts from both sides,
"Well we've got the land but they've got the view!"
Well now here's the clue.
Life it rents us.
And yeah I hope it put plenty on you.
Well I hope mine did too.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Then I feel pretty blissfully.
Your gun went off.
Well you shot off your mouth and look where it got you.
My mouth runs on too.
Shouts from both sides,
"Well we've got the land but they've got the view!"
Well now here's the clue.
We are fixed right where we stand.
Life it rents us.
And yeah I hope it put plenty on you.
Well I hope mine did too.
We are fixed right where we are.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well if feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
For every invention made how much time did we save?
We're not much farther than we were in the cave.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer,
And it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
If life's not beautiful without the pain,
Well I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again.
Well as life gets longer, awful feels softer.
And it feels pretty soft to me.
For every good deed done there is a crime committed.
We are fixed.
For every step ahead we could have just been seated.
We are fixed.
As life gets longer, awful feels softer.
Well it feels pretty soft to me.
And if it takes shit to make bliss,
Well I feel pretty blissfully.
We are fixed.
We are fixed.
We are fixed right where we stand.
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Great song, rather then say what ill think ill put what Isaac Brock himself said in interview with onion av. "Basically, it's a push-me, pull-me thing. Science finds a way to fuck things up, and then science finds a way to fix it. There's a song on the record that's pretty much about that, "The View." That whole "We're fixed right where we stand" lyric. For every positive thing that we accomplish, something negative comes out of it, and vice versa."
Also the drug lines saying at this point that if it takes drugs to make me happy then that works for me. I really like the feel of this song, and the whole positive negative feel to it. life it rents us.
Read dhelm's review, it answers all.
Shouts from both sides, "Well we've got the land but they've got the view!"
I always thought that line meant that one side of the argument was saying that they had the land, but the others had the view. Now I think that both sides of this argument are saying that they have the land but the other side has the view... because the grass is always greener on the otherside. Just a little thought.
I love this song because, we all experience problems and pain and stress, but without it, happiness would be meaningless and feel empty. Thats whats so sick about it, you can take all the shit life throws at you, and still see it in a positive way. Look forward to the brighter things in life. that's my interpretation of it. its too bad people have to argue about lyrics and fight about the real point of a song, even if the writer wrote it for his own point. whats cool about good music like this, is that you can interpret however you see it and apply it to your situation. Especially this song, I'm sure most of us can relate to it. (if you look at it from my point of view).
The line that hits me is "If life's not beautiful without the pain, I'd just rather never even see beauty again." paraphrased of course. That sums up the whole song for me, life can be shitty sometimes and at this point he doesn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's beautiful and sad, but i love this song, along with the album.
I can't believe no one has figured out the relatively simplistic message of the lines:
[As life gets longer, awful feels softer. Well it feels pretty soft to me.] - Meaning his life has certainly felt pretty long, so awful thus feels pretty soft.
[And if it takes shit to make bliss, Then I feel pretty blissfully.] - A lot of shitty things have happened in his life. Thus, if shitty things make bliss, then Isaac must feel pretty blissfully.
yeah i agree<br /> <br /> [If life's not beautiful without the pain<br /> Well, I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again] - I think this is saying that since he's gone through life and all the shit, that he doesn't want to go through anymore pain. <br /> <br /> He's talks about his views (no pun intended) through a series of analogies leaving the audience to piece it together logically. <br /> <br /> Since he feels blissfully it means he's gone through a bunch of shit. Since life feels soft, it means he's gotten older. And since he doesn't want to see beauty, it means he doesn't want life with pain.
probably the most under-rated song on the album
this is the most addicting song... ever?
In my opinion this is the pop'yiest song off MM's most recent album. Being a rather long time fan of MM makes me say "huh" when I listen to this song. It feels mainstream, which isn't to say it isn't good, it's just different for MM. With that being said, I love this song. It's simple and it has a great message.
This song is awesome, the whole album is incredible! Im not so sure what its about but i think its about science and life and stuff. I also think hes talking about all these losers who are angry at mm for going a little more mainstream..."and if it takes shit to make bliss, then i feel pretty blissfully" oh and for anyone who feels that way...screw you and get a life, how can u blame someone for wanting more recognition and stuff....damn just be happy for them
I think this song is amazing. I just started listening to the cd a few days ago.. and I love it. There is a lot going on in the song.. =O)