"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 stand on my own
And wonder if you've ever been alone
with all the world around you
Say the word; I'd be there
And like a fool I'd go anywhere
just like the day I found you
Tell me what you see
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
I don't understand what to say
You take my breath and then you walk away
Your life goes on without me
And you can look right at me
But in your eyes it's a mystery
What do you feel about me?
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you see
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell me what to give
Tell me I can live for your love
Tell me not to leave
Tell me to believe in your love
I don't really know what to say
I don't know how but I could learn to pray
If praying makes you hear me
I could stay on my own
and wonder if I'd have ever known
I just want you near me
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell what to give
Tell me how to live for your love
Tell me what you see
Tell me to believe in your love
And wonder if you've ever been alone
with all the world around you
Say the word; I'd be there
And like a fool I'd go anywhere
just like the day I found you
Tell me what you see
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
I don't understand what to say
You take my breath and then you walk away
Your life goes on without me
And you can look right at me
But in your eyes it's a mystery
What do you feel about me?
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you see
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell me what to give
Tell me I can live for your love
Tell me not to leave
Tell me to believe in your love
I don't really know what to say
I don't know how but I could learn to pray
If praying makes you hear me
I could stay on my own
and wonder if I'd have ever known
I just want you near me
Tell me if it's real
Tell me what you feel in my love
Tell me what you need
Tell me you believe in my love
Tell what to give
Tell me how to live for your love
Tell me what you see
Tell me to believe in your love
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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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
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.
great love song, wrtten and recorded specificly for thier greatest hits album