"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.
Animals come, banging their drums
Street clears in summer
Kids run around, having their fun
Men are already drunk
A religious holiday's begun
Maybe it's because we have no sun
Marching begins, animals sing
Words that are twisted to
Meanings of hate, look at the face
Bitter and ready to fight
A religious holiday's begun
Maybe it's because we have no sun
Lost in the crowd
Shouting loud
Drinking my fill of a bottle of gin
I'll do anything to help me forget about you
You're full of it
You hopelessly flirt
With that girl who works in the pub for a night
But at closing time
You will be at my door
Tell me what it is I have to do?
I'd sacrifice everything for you
I was feeling so good and the sun was shining
All I wanted was to get across the street
I made my biggest mistake when I left her
With a yelling match and a broken kettle
I'm sick of this, you're a little kid
I always have to bail you out
When you take off with your drinking friends
And their idiot games
If you sing the songs you half deserve to take a beat
They beat me up because I crossed the march
They said I need to learn a bit of respect
But I am on their side and I follow the team
When I get out of here
Somebody's going to get it
Street clears in summer
Kids run around, having their fun
Men are already drunk
A religious holiday's begun
Maybe it's because we have no sun
Marching begins, animals sing
Words that are twisted to
Meanings of hate, look at the face
Bitter and ready to fight
A religious holiday's begun
Maybe it's because we have no sun
Lost in the crowd
Shouting loud
Drinking my fill of a bottle of gin
I'll do anything to help me forget about you
You're full of it
You hopelessly flirt
With that girl who works in the pub for a night
But at closing time
You will be at my door
Tell me what it is I have to do?
I'd sacrifice everything for you
I was feeling so good and the sun was shining
All I wanted was to get across the street
I made my biggest mistake when I left her
With a yelling match and a broken kettle
I'm sick of this, you're a little kid
I always have to bail you out
When you take off with your drinking friends
And their idiot games
If you sing the songs you half deserve to take a beat
They beat me up because I crossed the march
They said I need to learn a bit of respect
But I am on their side and I follow the team
When I get out of here
Somebody's going to get it
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
Amazing
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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.
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“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.
This song is incredible! It makes me so happy to hear it. The vocals are exactly what B&S vocals should be-- lots of stuart, a fair amount of everybody else. I love how they can branch out and try different styles, nail them, and then try something else. The lyrics are great too and fit perfectly with the samba-y style.
The song seems to be about sectarian violence and football in Glasgow, probably referring to orangeman's day (12th of july), the sun and the march, hate songs etc seem to confirm this but i don't think it's a religious holiday in scotland, though it is tied to religion and in particular football and the rivalry between celtic and rangers. I'm really glad they included this on the new compilation, it's really great, the music works so well and the way the female and male voices sing together is cool, the stories are really vivid. Like a lot of b&s songs it makes me miss living in Glasgow, the city always seems to me to play a big part in their songs, to me anyway.