"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.
Wake me up
Only nightmares take me in
Through these walls the winter bites
A draft from all sides
Why did you not include me on your list?
Let me in through the ceiling
White lips kissed
Our love is a fickle love
Keeps itself locked in a suitcase
To be ready to go
Always
I won't cry when the silver lining shows
But you're right
You understand
You ride with both hands
Worrying is the breathing that you need
So there won't be far to fall
You mustn't climb tall
Things that are supposed to mean lots
Leave you cold
And with a malady of the soul
Our love is a tricky love
Bet you know this
Bet you noticed
Bet you know, which is why
I should know better than anyone ever could
Soon as I let go
Everything falls apart
I won't cry when the silver lining shows
But you're right
You understand
You ride with both hands
Worrying is the breathing that you need
So there won't be far to fall
You mustn't climb tall
Wake me up
Only nightmares take me in
Through these walls the winter bites
A draft from all sides
Of course you can
There are diamonds in demand
It's a shame and as you know
The stain will not go
Only nightmares take me in
Through these walls the winter bites
A draft from all sides
Why did you not include me on your list?
Let me in through the ceiling
White lips kissed
Our love is a fickle love
Keeps itself locked in a suitcase
To be ready to go
Always
I won't cry when the silver lining shows
But you're right
You understand
You ride with both hands
Worrying is the breathing that you need
So there won't be far to fall
You mustn't climb tall
Things that are supposed to mean lots
Leave you cold
And with a malady of the soul
Our love is a tricky love
Bet you know this
Bet you noticed
Bet you know, which is why
I should know better than anyone ever could
Soon as I let go
Everything falls apart
I won't cry when the silver lining shows
But you're right
You understand
You ride with both hands
Worrying is the breathing that you need
So there won't be far to fall
You mustn't climb tall
Wake me up
Only nightmares take me in
Through these walls the winter bites
A draft from all sides
Of course you can
There are diamonds in demand
It's a shame and as you know
The stain will not go
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Going from both tinymuffins opinions and cowbeef's explanation of "silver lining", I agree this song is about a struggling relationship; how the guy wants to know the girl more and how she refuses to let him in and how they almost brake up because of her fears.
"Why did you not include me on your list? Let me in through the ceiling White lips kissed"
is about how he wants to know about her completely("let me in through the ceiling"). Which would make the lyric
"I should know better than anyone ever could Soon as I let go Everything falls apart"
make more sense. That unless he keeps on persisting, she will never open up to anyone. That they will both be worse off.
"Through these walls the winter bites A draft from all sides"
means that's he's very open about himself and his feelings.
"Things that are supposed to mean lots Leave you cold And with a malady of the soul"
is about how she refuses to let him in. How even though he shows her affection and love openly, she refuses it. "A malady(sickness) of the soul" relates to how troubled she is with accepting the relationship.
"Of course you can There are diamonds in demand It’s a shame and as you know The stain will not go"
"Of course you can" is him simplifying how she does have the ability to give and accept love. So then I guess she gets over herself and then they decide to get married. "There are diamonds in demand" has always meant marriage to me in this song.
I believe the last two lines are about how even though they're together now, it's shameful to think that they were once almost torn apart and that the thought of it will never go away.