"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.
Master of the Universe
I am the creator of this universe
The wind of time is blowing through me
And it's all moving relative to me
It's all a figment of my mind
In a world that I've designed
I'm charged with cosmic energy
Has the world gone mad or is it me?
Silver Machine
I got a silver machine - silver machine [4X]
Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
We're sick of politicians harassment and laws
all we do is get screwed up by other people's flaws
World turned upside down, nothing else to do
But live in concrete jungles and they block up the view
And that ain't no joke, you can disappear in smoke
And that ain't no joke, you can disappear in smoke
I'm telling you, that it ain't no lie
You think you know the answers, we don't tell no lies
We can take you anyway thro' seven different highs
World turned upside down now, nothing else to do
but live in concrete jungles and they block up the view
Brainstorm
Standing on the runway waiting for takeoff
I wanna fly, wanna watch me flake off
I can't move 'cause the man has a rake off
you gotta help me, help me to shake off
This body of mine I wanna get out of this void
This body of mine and I don't wanna be destroyed
this body of mine I don't wanna turn android
This body of mine you gotta help me avoid that
Brainstorm here I go
Brainstorm flying low
Brianstorm I wanna miss it
Brianstorm you'd bet I'd kiss it
Assault and Battery
Lives of great men all remind us we may make our lives sublime
And departing leave behind us footprints in the sands of time
Of hewn stones the sacred circle where the wizened sages sat
Let us try to remember all the times where they were at.
So your thoughts they were expecting assault and battery on the human anatomy
Assault and battery on the human anatomy man.
The War I survived
Death comes like a glacier from the peaks of all wars
reason and logic the generals cry "more"
bodies in gullies contorsionist poses
fogged by the sent of mustard gas and roses
take me back to the war I survived
gather them all into slaughterhouse five
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
Space is Deep
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
There's only bombs, no one's left alive Take me back to the war I survived
These were people like you and I Take me back to the war I survived
Spirit of the Age
Spirit of the age
It's the spirit of the age
Lost Chronicles
Instrumental outro
I am the creator of this universe
The wind of time is blowing through me
And it's all moving relative to me
It's all a figment of my mind
In a world that I've designed
I'm charged with cosmic energy
Has the world gone mad or is it me?
Silver Machine
I got a silver machine - silver machine [4X]
Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
We're sick of politicians harassment and laws
all we do is get screwed up by other people's flaws
World turned upside down, nothing else to do
But live in concrete jungles and they block up the view
And that ain't no joke, you can disappear in smoke
And that ain't no joke, you can disappear in smoke
I'm telling you, that it ain't no lie
You think you know the answers, we don't tell no lies
We can take you anyway thro' seven different highs
World turned upside down now, nothing else to do
but live in concrete jungles and they block up the view
Brainstorm
Standing on the runway waiting for takeoff
I wanna fly, wanna watch me flake off
I can't move 'cause the man has a rake off
you gotta help me, help me to shake off
This body of mine I wanna get out of this void
This body of mine and I don't wanna be destroyed
this body of mine I don't wanna turn android
This body of mine you gotta help me avoid that
Brainstorm here I go
Brainstorm flying low
Brianstorm I wanna miss it
Brianstorm you'd bet I'd kiss it
Assault and Battery
Lives of great men all remind us we may make our lives sublime
And departing leave behind us footprints in the sands of time
Of hewn stones the sacred circle where the wizened sages sat
Let us try to remember all the times where they were at.
So your thoughts they were expecting assault and battery on the human anatomy
Assault and battery on the human anatomy man.
The War I survived
Death comes like a glacier from the peaks of all wars
reason and logic the generals cry "more"
bodies in gullies contorsionist poses
fogged by the sent of mustard gas and roses
take me back to the war I survived
gather them all into slaughterhouse five
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
Space is Deep
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
Take me back to the war I survived I can't live no more, this is
slaughterhouse five
There's only bombs, no one's left alive Take me back to the war I survived
These were people like you and I Take me back to the war I survived
Spirit of the Age
Spirit of the age
It's the spirit of the age
Lost Chronicles
Instrumental outro
Lyrics submitted by Idan
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.