"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.
I close my eyes
And I smile, knowing that everything is alright
To the core, so close that door
Is this happening?
My breath is on your hair, I'm unaware
That you opened the blinds and let the city in
God, you held my hand
And we stand
Just taking in everything
And I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony
We're both, flying away
So we talked about mom's and dad's
About family pasts
Just getting to know where we came from
Our hearts were on display
For all to see
I can't believe this is happening to me
And I raised my hand as if to show you that I was yours
That I was so yours for the taking
I'm so yours for the taking
That's when I felt the wind pick up
I grabbed the rail while choking up
These words to say and then you kissed me
I knew it from the start
My arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony
We're both, flying away
And I'll try to sleep
To keep you in my dreams
'Til I can bring you home with me
I'll try to sleep
And when I do I'll keep you in my, dreams
I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
And your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
So here we are
On this 18th floor balcony, yeah
I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
No, we're not going to sleep, sleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony, we're both
Flying away
And I smile, knowing that everything is alright
To the core, so close that door
Is this happening?
My breath is on your hair, I'm unaware
That you opened the blinds and let the city in
God, you held my hand
And we stand
Just taking in everything
And I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony
We're both, flying away
So we talked about mom's and dad's
About family pasts
Just getting to know where we came from
Our hearts were on display
For all to see
I can't believe this is happening to me
And I raised my hand as if to show you that I was yours
That I was so yours for the taking
I'm so yours for the taking
That's when I felt the wind pick up
I grabbed the rail while choking up
These words to say and then you kissed me
I knew it from the start
My arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony
We're both, flying away
And I'll try to sleep
To keep you in my dreams
'Til I can bring you home with me
I'll try to sleep
And when I do I'll keep you in my, dreams
I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
And your head is on my stomach
And we're, we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
So here we are
On this 18th floor balcony, yeah
I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
No, we're not going to sleep, sleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony, we're both
Flying away
Lyrics submitted by jonathanbindel, edited by Grim_Poet
18th Floor Balcony Lyrics as written by Justin S Furstenfeld Charles Britton Iii Hudson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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.
This song is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I mean the way Justin sings of this love for someone, that u cannot get out to them, loving them so much, but words can't escape you to let that one person know. I want to have someone feel this way for me.. Great song, this is the one that got me into the band. They're awesome!