"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.
It's not so much a storm
But just a cloud that lives inside of me
He doesn't disturb so easily these days
But when he wakes he goes the distance.
In a marathon it takes too long
Open containers that sing songs
You'll never dream again
But you can pray
I guess we only settle in to what we know
I guess we always settle in, we know.
But there is comfort in a world
Where darkness is the only thing we see
And cold is all we have to breathe
Where expectations keep us company
With the light we take to the outside
Will it die? I somehow hide of out control.
(we lost control).
It's not about the sky
Or the clouds that walk all over me
They don't give up too easily these days
But when they break they go to pieces.
For a pond blood here in north set barns
Under a sky that knows no stars
You'll never shine again
But you will stay.
But just a cloud that lives inside of me
He doesn't disturb so easily these days
But when he wakes he goes the distance.
In a marathon it takes too long
Open containers that sing songs
You'll never dream again
But you can pray
I guess we only settle in to what we know
I guess we always settle in, we know.
But there is comfort in a world
Where darkness is the only thing we see
And cold is all we have to breathe
Where expectations keep us company
With the light we take to the outside
Will it die? I somehow hide of out control.
(we lost control).
It's not about the sky
Or the clouds that walk all over me
They don't give up too easily these days
But when they break they go to pieces.
For a pond blood here in north set barns
Under a sky that knows no stars
You'll never shine again
But you will stay.
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
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”
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.
As one of the oldest Alk3 fans (in age), this song is about settling. Basically, the older you get, the more you realize how people settle for something less than they imagined they ever would. How many people stay in relationships or jobs or cities - because it's 'comfortable'. And that is all they have known? I see it everyday everywhere. People giving up on dreams and faking it (affectations) because it's easier to settle than to get what you really want. Think about it.
Fyi -- here are the lyrics from the CD liner:
SETTLE FOR SATIN
It's not so much a storm But just a cloud that lives inside of me He doesn't stir so easily these days But when he wakes he goes the distance In a marathon of days too long Open containers that sing songs You'll never dream again but you can pray
I guess we all settle in to what we know I guess we always settle in, we know That there is comfort in our world Where darkness is the only thing we see And cold is all we have to breathe Where affectations keep us company Where the lies we tell to eyes that roll in doubt Are somehow out of our control
It's not about the scars But more the crowds that walk all over me They don't give up too easily these days But when they break they go to pieces Fall apart right here in North Side bars Under a sky that knows no stars You'll never shine again but you will stay
I guess we all settle in to what we know I guess we always settle in, we know That there is comfort in our world Where darkness is the only thing we see And cold is all we have to breathe Where affectations keep us company Where the lies we tell to eyes that roll in doubt Are somehow out of our control
That there is comfort in our world Where darkness is the only thing we see And cold is all we have to breathe Where affectations keep us company Where the lies we tell to eyes that roll in doubt Are somehow out of our control We lost control