"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.
The first time I won't regret
One look into your eyes and I'll never forget
You're not about to jump right into this, tonight
I'm wondering just what to do
Every single second in the room with you
I can't talk this over
To win you over here, tonight
So open your eyes
Don't say goodnight
I'm wondering why
Alone tonight
I'll just let it go for you
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this now
So hard to get, is that what it's gonna be?
Sitting down not even looking at me
I hope forever
I don't remember this, tonight
So out the door, gone away
Running so fast through the pouring rain
Gone forever
So much better here, tonight
So open your eyes
Don't say goodnight
I'm wondering why
Alone tonight
I'll just let it go for you
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this now
I'd throw it all away for you
If you took another look you'd be back so soon
All alone, dark cold night
Wrapped around, you better hold on tight
Down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
So right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
One look into your eyes and I'll never forget
You're not about to jump right into this, tonight
I'm wondering just what to do
Every single second in the room with you
I can't talk this over
To win you over here, tonight
So open your eyes
Don't say goodnight
I'm wondering why
Alone tonight
I'll just let it go for you
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this now
So hard to get, is that what it's gonna be?
Sitting down not even looking at me
I hope forever
I don't remember this, tonight
So out the door, gone away
Running so fast through the pouring rain
Gone forever
So much better here, tonight
So open your eyes
Don't say goodnight
I'm wondering why
Alone tonight
I'll just let it go for you
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this now
I'd throw it all away for you
If you took another look you'd be back so soon
All alone, dark cold night
Wrapped around, you better hold on tight
Down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
So right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
I'm letting you down
You are just hiding it so well
You're giving me no sign, no interest
Oh you don't really want this
You don't really want this
Right now
Are you gonna try to save yourself?
I bet you're so sick of hearing it
Oh you don't really want this
Lyrics submitted by Jon1719
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Ed Sheeran
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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.
My interpretation on this song is self conflict of the person singing. Theres an elephant in the room and its named sex. The guy doesnt know if the girl is waiting for him to make the first move. Hes almost positive that she wants it but he doesnt want to make a fool of himself so he chickens out and hes okay with not going all the way.