"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.
Be still
Though chaos rains around you now
Only so much rain can fall at once
Breathe in
And let the air envelope you
And slow but sure, serenity will come
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
Stand up
Though circumstance has knocked you down
There is nothing gained by staying within it's reach
Take strength
In every failure you endure
Our mistakes have many lessons they can teach
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
Destroy
These walls you've built around yourself
You can't take another step until they're gone
Move out
No use in dwelling in the past
Bid farewell to all your fears and carry on
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
Though chaos rains around you now
Only so much rain can fall at once
Breathe in
And let the air envelope you
And slow but sure, serenity will come
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
Stand up
Though circumstance has knocked you down
There is nothing gained by staying within it's reach
Take strength
In every failure you endure
Our mistakes have many lessons they can teach
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
Destroy
These walls you've built around yourself
You can't take another step until they're gone
Move out
No use in dwelling in the past
Bid farewell to all your fears and carry on
Close your eyes
Try to breathe
Feel the ground beneath your feet
It's still there
The world still turns around
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
I think the song is about pulling yourself up from when you have hit rock bottom. it's saying that no matter how hard things can get and how chaotic everything may seem, there is a way out, and that is not to run away from it.
Its metaphorical of a problem in lfe that has been built up so much that you can't do anything but panic whenever it presents itself. The song seems to be like an internal voice telling the person to take things slowlly, step back and see the problem for what it really is and eventually overcome it.
I think the same. The acoustic version of this songs calms me down everytime I panic about something, every time I cant stop crying, its there to pull me up and remember myself to breath. <br /> I love this song. I dont even have enough words to describe what it means to me.
I love this song. So many of Tom's songs that might be uplifting are bittersweet in some way, so it's nice to have a song from him that is genuinely peaceful. Whenever I'm having a really bad day, this song reminds me that not all is lost.
I don't think it's at all a "deal with it" / "crying about it won't help" situation. Seems to me more like the type of advice you'd give to someone dealing with anxiety and/or having a panic attack - offering a new perspective, to hopefully lead to new thoughts, and with those new thoughts hopefully leading to healthier functioning
To me, it's about not worrying about if you mess something up, being content with things, and moving on with your life no matter what happens.
No matter what happens, it's not the end of the world
Guess this song make sens when you are out of a depression or something like it, but when youre in one you cant really relate to this song, this is my personal oppinion
Just because something bad or terrible has hapened in your life, it's not the end of the world.
In the most harsh way possible: Stop being a pussy and walk it off. Crying about it wont help.
The song can be summarized as "deal with it". The subject has apparently screwed up big time and has to deal with paralyzing regret. Depression, not so much.
My absolute favorite song from him! It encourages me to keep going no matter how shitty my life gets.