"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.
If the love between us has faded away
Left in the rain, scratching at the stains
The paralyzed future
The past sideways scrawl
I must give up on this
It makes no sense at all
Makes no sense at all
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sense the breaking of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
And yet I kept my silence
Your memory is still mine
No I will not share them
Acquaintance through denial
For I witnessed splendour
And evil that no-one saw
And I felt kindness
And vanity for sure
And vanity for sure
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sensed the breaking of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sensed the making of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff
Left in the rain, scratching at the stains
The paralyzed future
The past sideways scrawl
I must give up on this
It makes no sense at all
Makes no sense at all
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sense the breaking of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
And yet I kept my silence
Your memory is still mine
No I will not share them
Acquaintance through denial
For I witnessed splendour
And evil that no-one saw
And I felt kindness
And vanity for sure
And vanity for sure
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sensed the breaking of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff afterlife
We sensed the making of our lives
In the Cardiff afterlife
In the Cardiff
Lyrics submitted by matt675, edited by michel houellebecq
Cardiff Afterlife Lyrics as written by Jones Bradfield
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
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 more or less a direct attempt to find some closure on Richey's still-unresolved disappearance. "It makes no sense at all", indeed.
(Cardiff is where Richey was living before his disappearance, and the location of the bridge where he left his car)
(Not strictly true - the bridge where he left his car is actually a fair distance from Cardiff)
But I would agree.
'We sensed the breaking of our lives' ^Brilliant line.
'The past sideways crawl' = This line is really poignant to me because it reminds me directly of Richey's line in Die in the Summertime: 'I have crawled so far sideways / I recognize dim traces of creation'. I wonder if they're both homaging a famous line of some poet or someone or just both shared a similar metaphorical image... Like peas in a pod, Nicky & Richey. :)
It always reminded me of "I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas" from TS Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Crabs move sideways, and the desire to hibernate/retreat into a shell was strong in both Richey and Nicky
Yes... Richey's disappearance. 'It makes no sense at all' but Nicky will still never forget him.
There was (and still is) a magazine in Cardiff called Cardiff Life, I wonder if this inspired the song title.