"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.
People say she's only in my head
It's gonna take time but I'll forget
They say I need to get on with my life
But they don't realize
Is when your dialing six numbers just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she's home
Waking a friend in the dead of night just to hear 'em say it's gonna be alright
When your finding things to do not to fall asleep
'Cause you know she'll be there in your dreams
That's when she's
More than a memory
Took a match to everything she ever wrote
Watched her words go up in smoke
Tore all the pictures off the wall
But that ain't helping me at all
'Cause when your talking out loud and nobody's there
You look like hell and you just don't care
Drinking more than you've ever drank
Sinking down lower than you've ever sank
When you find yourself falling down upon your knees
Praying to God begging him please
That's when she's
More than a memory
She's more
She's more
'Cause when your dialing her number just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she's home
Waking a friend in the dead of night just to hear 'em say it's gonna be alright
When our finding things to do not to fall asleep
'Cause you know she'll be waiting in your dreams
That's when she's
More than a memory
People say she's only in my head
It's gonna take time but I'll forget
It's gonna take time but I'll forget
They say I need to get on with my life
But they don't realize
Is when your dialing six numbers just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she's home
Waking a friend in the dead of night just to hear 'em say it's gonna be alright
When your finding things to do not to fall asleep
'Cause you know she'll be there in your dreams
That's when she's
More than a memory
Took a match to everything she ever wrote
Watched her words go up in smoke
Tore all the pictures off the wall
But that ain't helping me at all
'Cause when your talking out loud and nobody's there
You look like hell and you just don't care
Drinking more than you've ever drank
Sinking down lower than you've ever sank
When you find yourself falling down upon your knees
Praying to God begging him please
That's when she's
More than a memory
She's more
She's more
'Cause when your dialing her number just to hang up the phone
Driving cross town just to see if she's home
Waking a friend in the dead of night just to hear 'em say it's gonna be alright
When our finding things to do not to fall asleep
'Cause you know she'll be waiting in your dreams
That's when she's
More than a memory
People say she's only in my head
It's gonna take time but I'll forget
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
It's just saying that there are some people who are more than just a memory. People come and go in your life, but there are gonna be some that are impossible to forget and let go. And no matter how much you try, you just can't get them out of your heart. I absolutely love this song
garth is back thank God!!
to me, it has more of a meaning than a relationship just ending. my girlfriend died. and this song kills me when i hear it. everything about her is more than a memory to me. i'll never hear her voice again, she'll never be at her house again, and i'd do anything to get her back.
I think this song is pretty self explanatory, but I love it. So true.
This song is so beautiful. Garth does such a wonderful job singing it, making the ahce of such a situation even more clear with his amazing voice. A very powerful, and heart tugging song.
Love this song. If you've ever been in the situation this song is so true. Sometimes no matter how hard you try you can't get some people out of your head or your heart. Sad but true.
This song is absolutely amazing and I think most of us can relate, and I am in no way trying to say anything against this song..But it says six numbers? isn't a phone number seven?
The "dialing six numbers just to hang up the phone" part is saying that he can't make himself dial that last digit. I know sometimes I used to find my ex's name on my cell phone and have a finger on the call button but I just couldn't make myself push it to call her.
This is a great song, it describes pretty much all the feelings you get when you're in that type of situation where you still feel really strongly towards someone and no matter what you do you can't get them out of your head.
Music Video
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this song is one of my favorite songs even thougs i listen to Proggresive Metal its an exquisite song