"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.
This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us
It's time to make our move, I'm shakin' off the rust
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years
Steady hands just take the wheel
And every glance is killing me
Time to make one last appeal
For the life I live
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I'll become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can you see what I see?
They're tryin' to come back, all my senses push
Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could
Steady feet, don't fail me now
I'ma run 'til you can't walk
Something pulls my focus out
And I'm standing down
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, you don't need
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
I've become what I can't be
Oh, do you see what I see?
It's time to make our move, I'm shakin' off the rust
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years
Steady hands just take the wheel
And every glance is killing me
Time to make one last appeal
For the life I live
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I'll become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can you see what I see?
They're tryin' to come back, all my senses push
Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could
Steady feet, don't fail me now
I'ma run 'til you can't walk
Something pulls my focus out
And I'm standing down
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, you don't need
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
I've become what I can't be
Oh, do you see what I see?
Lyrics submitted by hplssrmantcxox, edited by msyauqi
Stop and Stare Lyrics as written by Andrew John Brown Ryan Benjamin Tedder
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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Page
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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.
I think this is a great song.
The vision I get from the song is of him on the outskirts of a town, about to leave the life he's known. Who knows what has spurred this desire to leave, maybe a relationship gone bad, or maybe he is not where he thought he'd be in terms of his career. The line "I'm staring down myself, counting up the years" is a very reflective line which leads me to believe that he is not happy with where his life choices have taken him. The song title, "Stop and stare," is him pausing for one last look before leaving his life behind.
The use of "us" in the beginning I find interesting. I think that the narrator is looking at himself with a mirror, and referring to "us" and him and his reflection.
The line "Steady hands, just take the wheel" is another great line. The decision to leave is a hard one and he has thoughts of abandoning his plan. But, he knows that it's the right decision to move on and he is trusting that his hands will steer him in the right direction.
A very reflective song, and one that anybody who has ever been at a major crossroads in their life can relate to.