"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.
Are you staying or going?
We're leaving the driveway
We'll call if it's close
Now don't you worry
[Chorus]
Follow the light over
Leave us behind
Hello, she will be here
Not too many more days
Speak up in a hurry
So there won't be pain
[Chorus 2x]
Put my face in a shoulder
Red eyes have swollen
The pipes of the organ
A little consolation
A little consolation
Ascend in the night away
Ascend in the night away
Ascend in the night away
We're leaving the driveway
We'll call if it's close
Now don't you worry
[Chorus]
Follow the light over
Leave us behind
Hello, she will be here
Not too many more days
Speak up in a hurry
So there won't be pain
[Chorus 2x]
Put my face in a shoulder
Red eyes have swollen
The pipes of the organ
A little consolation
A little consolation
Ascend in the night away
Ascend in the night away
Ascend in the night away
Lyrics submitted by toadtws
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Fast Car
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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.
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Page
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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.
this song is so beautiful that it doesn't really matter what it means. it's one of those songs that makes me wish it was a beautiful warm summer night and i was driving with the window down looking at the stars with someone who cares.
and that's what this song means to me.
this song resides at the top of a list of so many other good songs that a favorite just cannot be chosen. this band is very special
Is everyone sure about the last line? Because in my booklet it says "a little consolation ascend in the night away"? It sounds pretty similar. I like both.
And I love this song and the lyrics although I don't really understand what they are about, but that doesn't matter...
Especially these lines: "Hello, she will be here not too many more days, Speak up in a hurry, so there won't be pain"
(And, of course, I didn't say anything :-( ...)
But the ending is so great, it's just so much ... consolation...
This song is about woman, probably a mother or grandmother, at the end of her life. The first verse is some friends/family going to visit her in the hospital/rest home and asking the narrator if he's coming with them. But it hurts to see her almost dead, so he decides not to; they tell him they'll call if "it" (her death) is close.
The second verse is someone exhorting the narrator to get something off his chest, to talk to his mother/whomever about something that they haven't talked about before. Time is running out to speak up, because soon she'll be gone.
The chorus here is him leaving the rest of the group and going to talk to her alone. Perhaps it's about his feelings of homosexuality, alluded to in "The Decision Made Itself" and (possibly) "Surrender."
The third verse is after she's died, at the funeral. The pipes of the organ are a little consolation. But just a little; he's still crying.
And the last bit about ascending (thanks WayToBlue!) is her spirit flying off to heaven or wherever.
When I figured this out just now, it blew my mind. Somehow I had always interpreted it as the end of a summer fling, but the true meaning is much more powerful. I really, really love this song.
Thanks, toadtws, I never thought about that, but it makes sense. What an amazing song!