"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.
And every Prince
Who lives in Greece
Will tear themselves to pieces for this beauty
Born of a swan
Jesus don't be long
Let her body sweat above mine in the summertime
And was it she who wrote
"Porn is Woman Hatred" on my overcoat
Christ I need that coat
'Cause it's cold outside
It really shouldn't be this cold in summertime
When
She lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the suitors clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
And when the swan coupled with the goose
They conceived a holy beauty and they let her loose
And she caused a war, for ten long years
By running off with me she caused her husband tears
And those big clipper ships
They're heading straight for me and I just want to kiss her properly
Oh those big clipper ships
They're heading straight for me
And I haven't even kissed her properly
When
She lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the suitors clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
And when I stepped in her room
With silver sword in hand
She stood there semi-naked
The sword fell from my hand
She let the silk slip
Gently fall from her hips
And Christ I want to kiss her
Because heaven lies within her lips
When she lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the bastards clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
A pretty bride
During the summertime
Who lives in Greece
Will tear themselves to pieces for this beauty
Born of a swan
Jesus don't be long
Let her body sweat above mine in the summertime
And was it she who wrote
"Porn is Woman Hatred" on my overcoat
Christ I need that coat
'Cause it's cold outside
It really shouldn't be this cold in summertime
When
She lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the suitors clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
And when the swan coupled with the goose
They conceived a holy beauty and they let her loose
And she caused a war, for ten long years
By running off with me she caused her husband tears
And those big clipper ships
They're heading straight for me and I just want to kiss her properly
Oh those big clipper ships
They're heading straight for me
And I haven't even kissed her properly
When
She lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the suitors clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
And when I stepped in her room
With silver sword in hand
She stood there semi-naked
The sword fell from my hand
She let the silk slip
Gently fall from her hips
And Christ I want to kiss her
Because heaven lies within her lips
When she lies with me
Will she forget I'm ugly
Will she pretend I'm pretty
Oh I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
Why
Must she taunt me so
She still has his scent
She still wears the bastards clothes
I've lived a lie
I stole a pretty bride during the summertime
A pretty bride
During the summertime
Lyrics submitted by Prime_Knight
I Stole a Bride Lyrics as written by Darren Hayman
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
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,
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.
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.
I think it's a great song with some smartly written lyrics. On the surface it looks just like a song written about the famous legend of Helen and Paris, but... to me, it can mean trying to steal someone else's significant other. We all know that still happens to this day. It's kind of funny how human beings haven't changed since the time of Helen and Troy.
Wowowow this song is so gorgeous. So. Gorgeous. It uses the allegory of Helen of Troy to describe his situation--he does steal someone else's bride. He feels really guilty ('why must she taunt me so/she still has his scent'). Yet she's so beautiful and he's afraid of losing her.