"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.
Closer
What started out as desire, turned into a lover's tryst
Who knew a moth and a flame could ever spawn a love like this
And YOU need something to taste
Something just a little bit more sweet
But I am sour and more sour
Every time that our lips meet
[Bridge:]
If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide
If I am kerosene then you're a spark
Just begging to ignite
You'll wish you never met me
(Butterfly) Butterfly, float on by me
[Chorus:]
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me)
Don't let me hold something so delicate (I'll shatter it with a word)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
The ghost of a pathetic past is haunting me here more and more
The skeletons are laughing at me through the closet door
And now past lovers share these covers
Sleeping with my enemies
Thoughts of others come between us
Trigger fits of jealousy
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
You can paint me pretty colors
And dress me how you like
I'm just an ugly moth in love
In a butterfly disguise
And I've been thinking about leaving since the day that we met
Cause if I don't get close when it's all over I'll just forget
'Cause I have seen the end so many times I've played it in my mind
And I am scared to death I never want to see your dark side
If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide
If I am kerosene then you're a spark
Just begging to ignite
You'll wish you never met me
(Butterfly) Butterfly, float on by me
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me)
Don't let me hold something so delicate (I'll shatter it with a word)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
What started out as desire, turned into a lover's tryst
Who knew a moth and a flame could ever spawn a love like this
And YOU need something to taste
Something just a little bit more sweet
But I am sour and more sour
Every time that our lips meet
[Bridge:]
If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide
If I am kerosene then you're a spark
Just begging to ignite
You'll wish you never met me
(Butterfly) Butterfly, float on by me
[Chorus:]
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me)
Don't let me hold something so delicate (I'll shatter it with a word)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
The ghost of a pathetic past is haunting me here more and more
The skeletons are laughing at me through the closet door
And now past lovers share these covers
Sleeping with my enemies
Thoughts of others come between us
Trigger fits of jealousy
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
You can paint me pretty colors
And dress me how you like
I'm just an ugly moth in love
In a butterfly disguise
And I've been thinking about leaving since the day that we met
Cause if I don't get close when it's all over I'll just forget
'Cause I have seen the end so many times I've played it in my mind
And I am scared to death I never want to see your dark side
If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide
If I am kerosene then you're a spark
Just begging to ignite
You'll wish you never met me
(Butterfly) Butterfly, float on by me
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me)
Don't let me hold something so delicate (I'll shatter it with a word)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed)
Don't say a thing as we get closer and closer
Damn, this is gonna hurt
Lyrics submitted by Mj_Lateralus
Closer Lyrics as written by Magnus Torkehage Beite Bernt Rune Stray
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
What started out as desire, turned into a lover's trist Who knew a moth and a flame could ever spawn a love like this Now you need something to taste Something just a little bit more sweet But I am sour and more sour Every time that our lips meet
[Bridge:] If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide If I am kerosene then you're a spark just begging to ignite You'll wish you never met me (Butterfly) Butterfly, fly by me
[Chorus:] Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed) Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me) Don't let hold something so delicate (Shattered with a word) Don't say anything as we get closer and closer Damn, this is gonna hurt
The ghost of a pathetic past is haunting me here more and more The skeletons are laughing and I mean through the closet door And my past lovers share these covers Sleeping with my enemies Thoughts of others come between us Trigger fits of jealousy
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
You can paint me pretty colors And dress me how you like I'm just a ugly moth in love In a butterfly disguise
And I've been thinking about leaving since the day that we met Since I don't get close when it's all over I'll just forget 'Cause I have seen the end so many times I've played it in my mind And I am scared to death I never want to see your dark side
If you're a butterfly I'm suicide by insecticide If I am kerosene then you're a spark just begging to ignite You'll wish you never met me (Butterfly) Butterfly, fly by me
Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed) Feel the sting as you get closer (Closer and closer to me) Don't let hold something so delicate (Shattered with a word) Don't say anything as we get closer and closer Damn, this is gonna hurt Never meant to cut so deep (Just enough to bleed) Don't say anything as we get closer and closer Damn, this is gonna hurt