"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.
For all I've been blessed with in my life
There was an emptiness in me
I was imprisoned by the power of gold
With one kind touch you sent me free
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love is not worth goin' through
If it all falls apart
I will no deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
for every mountain I have climbed
Every raging river crossed
You were the treasure that I longed to find
Without your love I would be lost
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love is not worth goin' through
If it falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
I know that I will live forever
But forever ill be loving you
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Tell me loves not going through
If it all falls apart I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
There was an emptiness in me
I was imprisoned by the power of gold
With one kind touch you sent me free
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love is not worth goin' through
If it all falls apart
I will no deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
for every mountain I have climbed
Every raging river crossed
You were the treasure that I longed to find
Without your love I would be lost
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love is not worth goin' through
If it falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
I know that I will live forever
But forever ill be loving you
let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Tell me loves not going through
If it all falls apart I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life I was loved by you
Lyrics submitted by VampedVixen, edited by kimmessmer
In This Life Lyrics as written by Mike Reid Allen Shamblin
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
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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”
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.
In me previous post I described the song from the perspective of the composers, Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin, as a love song to Jesus. You don't need to be Christian to enjoy the song. Many of the cover artists might not be Christian. I like IZ's rendition the best by far. How did he interpret it.
Here is an excerpt from his introduction to the song on his CD "IZ in Concert" (2000), track #13 titled "n Dis Life," on the tail end of the preceding track:
"... for those of you who have spouses, you know, everyone [sic] wife is incredible. I hope having a husband is even better. But you know, eh, living through life, you know, with each other, is awesome. But living life with God is more awesome. With this song I dedicate to our Father God through His Son Jesus Christ, is why I'm here today. I just wanted for let you guys know that...."
some powerful words... i'm surprised no one has commented yet. this man was a brilliant and blessed soul...RIP israel
He's talking to his fans. Everything wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the people who believed in him. "In this life, I was loved by you"
I think he is talking about how he wanted to become famous (in a sense) and then slowly he realized he wasn't doing it for the money. He was doing it because he loved his people and his music. It allowed him to be free of all his trouble.
Sorry for this scatter brained explanation.
I would have thought it was a lover he found, but it's awesome to think about it from your angle, how he simply loves doing what he does, regardless of how much he makes for doing it. it's a rarity in the music business, what with all the gimmicks that exist now a days. it's heartbreaking to hear him say "I know that I won't live forever."
Such a heartfelt song by a talented man... so sad that he's gone. But when I listen to this, his true feelings just pour out in the words, and he lives on through them and the rest of his songs...
Awesome song. IZ's rendition is my favorite of many. His vocals are phenomenal. But it is not his song. It was composed by Mike Reid (the "American Football" one on Wikipedia) and Allen Shamblin, 1992, Almo Music Corp., Brio Blues Music, Allen Shamblin Music, and BMG Songs, Inc. It was covered by Collin Raye (1992), 4 PM "For Positive Music" (1995), Kirk Whalum (1995), Bette Midler (1995), IZ (1996), Ronan Keating (2000), and probably more, as my search was not exhaustive. So what did Reid and Shamblin mean in the lyrics? Much of their catalog is country and Christian. This song reflects a Christian view.
Christians understand "an emptiness in me, imprisoned by the power of gold, one kind touch you set me free, you were the treasure, I would be lost, I won't live forever (these posted lyrics erroneously say "will live forever"), but forever I'll be loving you," and most significantly, "I was loved by you."
It's a gorgeous song if taken simply as a human love song. We who love IZ can easily appreciate how he makes it his own. What a showcase for his vocals! And let's not overlook the superb musical performance. Did you notice the absence of ukulele on both studio album renditions (Alone in IZ World and N Dis Life)? Still - It's a worship song when sung by Christians to Jesus.
Follow my footsteps: The Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Songbook Collection (2005, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.), allmusic.com, oldies.com, new.music.yahoo.com, and Amazon.com. My best keywords were "In This Life," Mike Reid, Allen Shamblin, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.