"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.
Whatever happened to the integrity found within a family?
I return your glare
And my bones are chilled with some sort of
Sickening recipe of fear and anger.
Day by day, time after time again
You distort chronology, you foster of terror
Bury your diamonds, destroy your rubies
We are searching for security in tradegy
Look around and notice the black (tapestries) drowning (our walls of) simplicity
We are the constant decay
Each note will disintegrate
Perched upon our towers, motionless and miserable
Here's to a comfortable casket
How deceiving is the cemetery of motivation
I wish to write a conclusion
I return your glare
And my bones are chilled with some sort of
Sickening recipe of fear and anger.
Day by day, time after time again
You distort chronology, you foster of terror
Bury your diamonds, destroy your rubies
We are searching for security in tradegy
Look around and notice the black (tapestries) drowning (our walls of) simplicity
We are the constant decay
Each note will disintegrate
Perched upon our towers, motionless and miserable
Here's to a comfortable casket
How deceiving is the cemetery of motivation
I wish to write a conclusion
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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 agree with law187. This is the opening to a tragedy. I find this song to be a picture of society today. Many families have fallen apart. Divorce is an everyday occurence. The integrity and love we have lost sickens those who hold these things dear. Then some advice. "Bury your diamonds, Destroy your Rubies" What is materialism? "the philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting the universe, and all phenomena, including those of mind, as due to material agencies. " Precious goods have replaced the place that god held in our lives. We now worship the almighty diamond instead of the almighty lover, creator, and savior. Society is disintegrating, we are miserable. That is true. When i found jesus, my life changed. When i held my material possessions above all, i was unhappy, depressed, and could never have enough of anything.
"I wish to write a conclusion" I see this pertaining to the entire CD. If this cd was written to make these things apparent and make people think, this would be a wonderful conclusion. The opening of man kinds eyes.
idk the meaning sounds sick 3:20 is a really sick part of the song i rekon reallu heavy and shit and got sick ass keys in the back :P
favorite so far.
love it.
This album is so much better than dear love: a beautiful discord. His vocals have gotten a lot better.
Yea his lyrics got a lot better but even the recording sounds better. This song is amazing! Also has the craziest breakdown ive heard haha.. Its rad.
Vocals*** my bad
good lord it's so epic at 1:46 when the bass kicks in... makes me want to just punch the living daylights out of something.... and also at 3:19 with the organ.
great opener to a great cd, i guess the song titles like parodying the movie snakes on a plane, not sure what the songs actually about, in the beggining kind of sounds almost like referring to abusive parents?
i dunno if theres in connection, but in like ancient greek times "tragedy" was associated with "the song of the goat", the song seems to be about a tragedy, along wit the title, seems possible