"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.
He sees the flames in her tears
Sketching on her skin and he knows
That it's come to an end
And it's no point pretending it's not
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
So she smashes the glass
And there's blood on her hands and her skirt
There's the wind and a sun,
A fresh air in her lungs once again
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
So he closes his eyes
And thinks 'maybe I'll be surprised if I do
I just might fall into another realm
And make another home there with you'
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me, oh
Sketching on her skin and he knows
That it's come to an end
And it's no point pretending it's not
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
So she smashes the glass
And there's blood on her hands and her skirt
There's the wind and a sun,
A fresh air in her lungs once again
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
So he closes his eyes
And thinks 'maybe I'll be surprised if I do
I just might fall into another realm
And make another home there with you'
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
And it's a long way down, a long way down from here
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me
It's best not to think about it
Just put your arms around me, oh
Lyrics submitted by ridicularious
Best Not to Think About It Lyrics as written by Joel Laslett Pott Carey Suthon Willetts
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
telling a girl that he can't do it anymore, her then reacting badly and smashing the glass - shouting/screaming at him because of it - hence the fresh air in her lungs again.
then him thinking about it all, and wondering if he'll be surprised about it all, and that everything might work out after all.
umm i think that makes sense to me :)
This song's about 9/11 and the people that jumped from the towers. Its an excellent song about a difficult subject to write about.
that makes a bit more sense!
Why do americans, as you probably are, always suggest that every damn song is about 9/11?? Get a live boy, not everything's bout the US...
in no way is this song about 9/11
I read that this song was inspired by the 9/11 documentary "Falling Man"
'Why do americans, as you probably are' - Well nice assumption but I'm actually from manchester lol.
The song was inspired by the 'falling man' documentary like special k suggests - I read it in an interviewwith the band.
But if people have their own meanings for songs then I wouldn't have a go at them local lad.
9/11 makes more sense but i can see where neomancer is commin from
Maybe the song was inspired by 9/11 but saying it's about a relationship falling apart also makes sense, whatever way you want to look at it I guess.
Yep - Joel Potts stated in an interview that the lyrics concern a couple on the edge of jumping from the World Trade Center, and the fear and helplessness they must have felt, followed by the inevitable peace.