"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.
Look at where you've got yourself now
You think the world, the world, the world, the world
Is trying to bring you down
You think that moving on
Means getting passed around
But every move you make
Just takes you further down
These are simple times
And now I miss your simple pleasures
A substance state of mind
What I had left to treasure
I know it's been a while
I swear you wouldn't be so lonely
If only you'd let me in
So look at you now
The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow
I wish you would hang up and turn around
And let me see those eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
I can't help thinking so much about
How such a girl, girl could dig a hole so deep
You can't find a way to get out
I'm not a helping hand
I'm a rope to pull you through
Just give me, give one more chance
To turn you back to you
Take this feeble mind
And mold it into something better
And help me realize
That I won't live forever
I know it's been a while
I swear you wouldn't be so lonely
If only you'd let me in
So look at you now
The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow
I wish you would hang up and turn around
And let me see those eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
You're not here
Every night is a nightmare
So look at me now
The spark in my eyes is gone, somehow
I wish I could stand up and turn around
And let you see my eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
You think the world, the world, the world, the world
Is trying to bring you down
You think that moving on
Means getting passed around
But every move you make
Just takes you further down
These are simple times
And now I miss your simple pleasures
A substance state of mind
What I had left to treasure
I know it's been a while
I swear you wouldn't be so lonely
If only you'd let me in
So look at you now
The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow
I wish you would hang up and turn around
And let me see those eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
I can't help thinking so much about
How such a girl, girl could dig a hole so deep
You can't find a way to get out
I'm not a helping hand
I'm a rope to pull you through
Just give me, give one more chance
To turn you back to you
Take this feeble mind
And mold it into something better
And help me realize
That I won't live forever
I know it's been a while
I swear you wouldn't be so lonely
If only you'd let me in
So look at you now
The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow
I wish you would hang up and turn around
And let me see those eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
You're not here
Every night is a nightmare
So look at me now
The spark in my eyes is gone, somehow
I wish I could stand up and turn around
And let you see my eyes
They'd be the same brown eyes
Lyrics submitted by thoseguiltyeyes
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
=O No one commented? Shame.
To me this song is saying that their friend/and or girlfriend has changed.
"These are simple times.And now I miss your simple pleasures" = Alec is saying that she's gone... maybe moved away, or she just isn't the same as she used to be.
"The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow I wish you would hang up and turn around And let me see those eyes They'd be the same brown eyes" = This is where I get my theory. The 'spark is her/his eyes is gone somehow' maybe because of depression, or something like that. by 'hang up and turn around' i think that means like hang up the phone?
Umm. That may mean like, the person's spending all their time with someone who isn't all that great of a person.... just what I think.. I can relate >.<
You people should comment this. Powerspace wins at life. ~_^
"You think that moving on Means getting passed around But every move you make Just takes you further down" I think this means what this girl has done after a break up with the boy for whatever reason. She goes from boy to boy(maybe sexually?) thinking she'll move on, but in reality, she's just getting worse.
"I know it's been a while But I swear you wouldn't be so lonely If only you'd let me in" I think they've been seperated for awhile but the boy wants her back because all he has is memories of them to cherish.
"So look at you now The spark in your eyes is gone, somehow I wish you would hang up and turn around And let me see those eyes They'd be the same brown eyes" He wants her to "hang up" which I think means to quit going from boy to boy. He wants her to take a look at herself. Like 3rd person and realize she's not like she used to be. She's the same person, she just doesn't have that 'spark' but with him, she can get it back.
"I can't help thinking so much about How such a girl could dig a hole so deep You can't find a way to get out I'm not a helping hand I'm a rope to pull you through Just give me, give one more chance To turn you back to you" He can't understand how depressed she is and she can't make herself better. He wants to help her but she needs to give him another chance.
"You're not here Every night is a nightmare" This is tricky. Maybe he's concerned where she is at night time? Maybe out with different guys? Or he likes her so much it's unbearable without her.
"So look at me now The spark in my eyes is gone, somehow I wish I could stand up and turn around And let you see my eyes They'd be the same brown eyes" He wants her to look at him and realize his 'spark' is also gone but he's the same person.
I may be way off. But that's what I interperate it as
I still like 'I put the abs in abstinence' better and think it should have got the nod for lyrics on there full length.