"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.
Something I can't understand and talking
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
I woke up to the angels
They're singin' in my head
You look so good naked next to me
An angel in my bed
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
Feel like a drug
That's cookin' in my veins
So out of my mind
I'll shoot you up
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
Water save my soul
Stand up
Like smokey fire
It's burning in us all
You drop me in the water
Lift me out
Save my soul
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
(lots of mumbling, lie in our graves-ish stuff throughout song)
Water save my soul
Stand up [Repeat until fade]
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
I woke up to the angels
They're singin' in my head
You look so good naked next to me
An angel in my bed
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
Feel like a drug
That's cookin' in my veins
So out of my mind
I'll shoot you up
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
Water save my soul
Stand up
Like smokey fire
It's burning in us all
You drop me in the water
Lift me out
Save my soul
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
(lots of mumbling, lie in our graves-ish stuff throughout song)
Water save my soul
Stand up [Repeat until fade]
Lyrics submitted by whitney173
Stand Up (For It) Lyrics as written by Mark Christopher Batson David John Matthews
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Fast Car
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
Blue
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
It sounds like this about Dave's favorite topics, drugs sex and salvation. What else is there? ( Just what is he trying to get to stand up?)
dreamgirl comes to mind as the idea is very similar. its the revelations we get either before we go to bed or early before we rise...woke up with that angel in my bed. my dreamgirl
Still on the fantasy angle--see Dreamgirl--the guy wakes up to the angels singing in his head. You look so good naked next to me. The angel in my bed. It's the dreamgirl and she is the guy's angel which is why he feels like she's a drug cookin' in his veins and she's so intoxicating that he'd shoot her up again ... (love is a drug ...) The Stand Up part refers to the guy and his dreamgirl, his angel, being asked to stand up by her angel, who is the smoke and fire burning, and there is more than one angel. A group has arrived. He (her angel) drops the guy in the water and lifts him out to save his soul. The guy and his dreamgirl are asked to stand up to bring peace.
I think I'm one of the only people who thinks this is one of the better songs from the new album (of the same name)
Sillybunny, I like your interpretation, but I disagree.
I'm pretty sure Stand Up is referring to a penis, as in an erection.
"Feel like a drug cooking in my veins" referring to the veins in a penis filling up with blood, making the erection.
"Stand Up" referring to it actually being erect...
Mike—I could go with the penis analogy—and certainly I am tossing it around in my head but sb—being her usual nervous-Nellie-self didn’t mention she has the angels referred to in this song, right with her and in fact, we asked her to stand up. She’s still kicking around thinking—okay, I’m up. I’m up! Now what?! But that’s angels for you … a word to the wise …
stand up is similar to wake up... dave gets a revelation from God in his dreams...elation of receiving these dreams is what to dave is similar to sex..or love..
God comes to us. gives us wisdom via revelation (dreams) and we live our day to day struggles as if one day were on "fire" and others like being drenched with a cool spring "rain"..(or being dunked in water)
sex is mentioned symbolically many times in reference to Gods spirit having intercourse with our souls...(remember jesus being the groom and the church the bride...well...)
stand up means wake up..become aware..at attention