"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.
I'm comin' up only to hold you under
And comin' up only to show you're wrong
And to know you is hard, we wonder
To know you all wrong, we won
Ooh
Ooh
Really too late to call, so we wait for
Morning to wake you, is all we got
And to know me as hardly golden
Is to know me all wrong, they warn
At every occasion, I'll be ready for the funeral
At every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
At every occasion, oh, I'm ready for the funeral
At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral
I'm comin' up only to show you down for
And comin' up only to show you're wrong
To the outside, the dead leaves lay on the lawn
For they don't have trees to hang upon
Ooh
Ooh
At every occasion, I'll be ready for the funeral
At every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
At every occasion, oh, I'm ready for the funeral
At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral
And comin' up only to show you're wrong
And to know you is hard, we wonder
To know you all wrong, we won
Ooh
Ooh
Really too late to call, so we wait for
Morning to wake you, is all we got
And to know me as hardly golden
Is to know me all wrong, they warn
At every occasion, I'll be ready for the funeral
At every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
At every occasion, oh, I'm ready for the funeral
At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral
I'm comin' up only to show you down for
And comin' up only to show you're wrong
To the outside, the dead leaves lay on the lawn
For they don't have trees to hang upon
Ooh
Ooh
At every occasion, I'll be ready for the funeral
At every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
At every occasion, oh, I'm ready for the funeral
At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral
Lyrics submitted by kylethelion, edited by escp99, lamy2, TransientLight, tigerfishy, julibug
The Funeral Lyrics as written by Christopher Early Benjamin Bridwell
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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American Town
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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.
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.
Ok, i know that songs mean different things to everyone, and sometimes it's easy to think that a song is specifically about something you personally understand or have been through.
In this case, however, I am almost sure I understand this song.
My girlfriend of 6 years became addicted to heroin a good few years back. She was intelligent, beautiful, and had the best sense of humor, but her self-hatred brought about on her by her father was absolutely crushing to her soul. I knew after about a year of knowing her, that she would in fact somehow die from something she did to herself. At first I thought suicide, but as she slipped into heroin addiction I realized what really was going to happen.
I talked to her mother about this time and time again, as we tried to find a solution but nothing worked. We always said that we were just "waiting for the funeral" as we cried and tried to cope with the situation. We knew it was coming, and it was something we had already accepted in a weird way before it even happened. The more and more I see this happen to others, the more I see there story is the same, and these lyrics are just so dead on. Before I ever heard this song, these events transpired and when I heard the song for the first time it almost put me to tears and I could have sworn it was written for me (yeah right I know, but I do think it was for people in my situation) Heroin kills many people who are full of self-hatred and recklessly abuse the dangerous drug because they do not care about themselves or their life.
"Really too late to call So we wait for the morning to wake you That's all we got"
The door is locked. Is she dead? Or has she just OD'd somewhat and is so passed out she is not awake or cannot hear the phone or door. These are the worst mornings, nail biting as you assume the worst. Always ready and thinking of that goddamn funeral that is so imminent.
"I'm coming up only to show you down for I'm coming up only to show you wrong"
She is making a mistake, I've tried using the drug myself to get on her level and try to explain, or at least understand more so I can help... I've tried everything.
And in the end, the funeral still comes as you knew it would. And it's a billion day funeral because the sorrow is still so strong as you realize how naive and upset everyone around you is. You thought you were ready for this day, but as it turns out, you re-live all the sorrow a million times each time you see someone cry and want an explanation for how this all happened. Longest day of my life, and the one I had anticipated the most.
Throughout it all, at every occasion, we were ready for the funeral. But it didn't make it any better. Very sad song.
I could be totally wrong. But my experiences made this song mean a lot to me, and it almost seemed too coincidental, but then again who knows?
Your story brought me to tears. I deeply sympathize that this happened to you. I had no idea what this song meant, only that it was deep. I hope you're doing well, thank you for sharing.
Thank you. I made an account just to say that. I'm a guy but quite the same as the girl you lost, 'if you love me, let me go' doesn't work in my experience. I hate that I'm hurting people. Okay, I didn't mean to get all weird; by chance your words were what I needed to hear during a tiny window of listening. It's wrong for me to block it out; my ex is now going through what did
That is a really good interpretation. I don't have a specific experience like this, but it's the same meaning I took from the song. Not sure why your comment is flagged...
'just want to say thank you for sharing.<br /> :)
I got married very young. I wish I knew then what I know now. My ex wife was alcoholic. She was actually a recovered alcoholic when we met but I didn´t know any of this until I tried her orange juice one early morning, before going to work, to find out it was a screwdriver. And that is when she opened up to me. But from then on she did not have to hide her drinking and she was drunk all day long. <br /> <br /> She was two completely different people, a beautiful person when sober, a monster when drunk. I was not ready to cope with that. She was, like in your girlfriend´s case, not being able to deal with a terrible childhood and I could not help her either. I hope she is ok right now. I have not heard from her in more than two decades.<br /> <br /> I made a similar interpretation of this song, but I also perceive as an important element in the lyrics the typical illogical "guilt" we, the impotent people next to addicts, feel. It is a powerful, and beautiful song. Thanks for sharing your interpretation and your personal story. <br /> <br />
Thank you, Austinprod --- now I realize why this tune is so compelling to me. I've been playing the song over and over again. Sometimes I don't get the lyrics when I hear the words but my heart or soul gets "it". As a recovering addict, I lived the "wrong" life ... made the wrong decisions. Now that I'm in the program, I realize not all of us are going to make it. Even with the joy of watching human miracles, I can't do anything but be ready for the funeral as I see those go under.
@austinprod just created an account for your story. very moving. hope this song helps you with your grieving<br />
@austinprod This is really insightful. Amazing how experience teaches us things. I love this song, and think of it often having lost a nephew to suicide, but would not have been able to see it from your perspective. Nice.
@austinprod <br /> Your understanding of this song puts my thoughts into words. My best friend died on 1/4/15. She overdosed on heroin. I have struggled with her death on a daily basis and music helps alot. I am glad that someone else hears the same thing as I do when listening to this song.
@austinprod Thank you for sharing. Really gave a different perspective of the song.
@austinprod Sorry for your loss. I agree. I am watching someone slip away into addiction. Your words are comforting.
@austinprod I think it can also be generalized to just be waiting for the end of a relationship, knowing that it's going to end but just not knowing when. You know there is no way you can save it...
@austinprod I just created this account to show my gratitude , what happened to your girl was terribly wrong and I am sorry . Hope no one should ever have to go through what you already have.
@austinprod Beautiful and heartbreaking interpretation of the lyrics. They fit perfectly to your story, but for me the lyrics mean someting else. Over the last year I've lost so many people close to me for all kinds of reasons. Some to serious illnesses (the line: Really too late to call<br /> So we wait for the morning to wake you<br /> That's all we got", haunts me constantly), some to terrible accidents. All of them were too young to die. And every time the phone rings now, I prepare myself for the worst. I prepare for another funeral. And it's a horrible way to live, just waiting for the inevitable, hopeless. So, that's my story. Thank you for sharing yours.
@austinprod Jesus man. I made an account to reply to this. Really moving and really sad what you shared. <br /> <br /> I hope things have gotten better. I hope you're doing well.
@austinprod I still think of this. A lot. And you are absolutely right. Thank you for sharing. Anyone who has experienced the longterm dread and worry of losing someone can understand this song. It was written for us.
@austinprod yes. For me, it was my foster brother. But yes to ever single Word, I agree with every interpretation you make here. This is exactly What I hear in these lyrics. The waiting, the Grief and helplessness as you see it coming, and then the grief beyond Words when the day actually comes. The billion day funeral you're still not prepared for, after years of preparing. We share the same story.