"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.
Today is going to be easy
Today 'cause you're not around
I'll leave off my makeup
I'll sleep in my bed
To pass all the time by
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
I concentrate on empty spaces
A passive pondering of blackness
Sit down shut up controled obsessions
Your absence, it exhausts me
Oh I always panic when I'm left
Oh I always panic when I'm left
Today I feel destructive
Today who cares about myself
I'll live in denial
And I'll beat up my head
And I'll eat all the chocolate
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
I can't control my feelings
I sip on dreams and choke on real things
Detatch myself of preservation
I struggle to to not want you
Oh and it's panic when I'm left
Oh is it healthy that we met
The fears start coming when I forget
I always panic
Today is gonna be simple
Today 'cause you're not around
My heart will go lazy
No one to impress
No smile is required
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
Today 'cause you're not around
I'll leave off my makeup
I'll sleep in my bed
To pass all the time by
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
I concentrate on empty spaces
A passive pondering of blackness
Sit down shut up controled obsessions
Your absence, it exhausts me
Oh I always panic when I'm left
Oh I always panic when I'm left
Today I feel destructive
Today who cares about myself
I'll live in denial
And I'll beat up my head
And I'll eat all the chocolate
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
I can't control my feelings
I sip on dreams and choke on real things
Detatch myself of preservation
I struggle to to not want you
Oh and it's panic when I'm left
Oh is it healthy that we met
The fears start coming when I forget
I always panic
Today is gonna be simple
Today 'cause you're not around
My heart will go lazy
No one to impress
No smile is required
Today 'cause you're not around
Today you won't be around
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
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.
Wow, umm..no comments?! wtf? Anyways, this song's on the Everything In Time CD of No Doubt and it's just an amazing song. Slow and peppy at the same time. Anyway, my take on it is pretty much about how Gwen has to spend so much time without Gavin because he's off doing things, but she misses him so badly, so she has to "struggle to not want him" and just distract herself.
I always thought it was about how the person in question is in a restrictive relationship - the man wants her to be perfect ("I'll leave off my makeup"..."I'll eat all the chocolate"). When he leaves for the day, she sees it as a chance to do what she wants without him getting on her case, but still ends up wanting him.
Beautiful song. Gwen was so heavily influenced by the flavors of Indian music at this time, and I think it was really her forte, her voice and lyrics were perfect for it. The song actually sounds like somebody engaged in a panic attack.
And I don't think she was in a "Restrictive relationship", I just think Gwen has a lot of standards for herself, a lot of insecurities. It's not that the man cares if she wears makeup, or eats chocolate, it is the fact that she would feel better about doing it if no one was around to watch her indulge.
I really like this song!
Based on other No Doubt songs I'm thinking that this is about the difficulty of long distance relationships. She says that today is going to be easy because she doesn't have to get all prettied up for him but in reality it's killing her not to have him around. She almost wishes they never met but she can't let go of him...