"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.
Oh yeah
We text as we eat
As we listen to the freaks
As we wait for the right of way
We text as we talk
We're running as we walk
Cause we surf our little souls away
We smoke as we choke
As we sink another coke
And we grin when it blows our mind
We skate as we date
As we slowly suffocate
We're running, we're running, we're running out of time
[Chorus]
My life got cold
It happened many years ago
When summer slipped away
So chill now whoa
We've gotten many years to go
So take it day by day
And long ago I lost my soul
To some forgotten dream
But how was I supposed to know
It wasn't what it seamed
And even though the last to know
Has left me on the floor
I don't believe in Romeo's and heroes anymore
We spin as we grin
Cause we're happy to pretend
Everything's gonna be OK
We shake as we wake
Never give until we take
And we hate it when we have to pay
We flirt while we work
To forget about the hurt
And the trash that we left behind
We sink as we swim
The ice is wearing thin
We're running we're running we're running out of time
[Chorus: x2]
We text as we eat
As we listen to the freaks
As we wait for the right of way
We text as we talk
We're running as we walk
Cause we surf our little souls away
We smoke as we choke
As we sink another coke
And we grin when it blows our mind
We skate as we date
As we slowly suffocate
We're running, we're running, we're running out of time
[Chorus]
My life got cold
It happened many years ago
When summer slipped away
So chill now whoa
We've gotten many years to go
So take it day by day
And long ago I lost my soul
To some forgotten dream
But how was I supposed to know
It wasn't what it seamed
And even though the last to know
Has left me on the floor
I don't believe in Romeo's and heroes anymore
We spin as we grin
Cause we're happy to pretend
Everything's gonna be OK
We shake as we wake
Never give until we take
And we hate it when we have to pay
We flirt while we work
To forget about the hurt
And the trash that we left behind
We sink as we swim
The ice is wearing thin
We're running we're running we're running out of time
[Chorus: x2]
Lyrics submitted by babysmurf0583, edited by djpalmer93
Life Got Cold Lyrics as written by Nick Coler Noel Gallagher
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Great version of a great song,
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Its so relaxing, even more than "I'll Stand By You"!