"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.
Don't live your life like the walking corpses
Hands out, eyes up, lack of knowledge abound
Now is the time that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Run away, run away, little baby
Run away, run away from the sun
Run away, run away, little baby
This is your life, that's the way that it's done
And why can't we see some things weren't meant to be?
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
There needs to be some rationality
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
Don't live your life like the walking corpses
Hands out, eyes up, lack of knowledge abound
Now is the time that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Run away, run away, little baby
Run away, run away from the sun
Run away, run away, little baby
This is your life, that's the way that it's done
And I'll fight for you
Against these lies they say are true
And I'll fight for you
We'll break across and start anew
And run away, run away, run away
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
And run away, run away
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
I'll bite the head off the Virgin Mary
I'll take her down and I'll send her to hell
I'll bite the head off the Virgin Mary
I'll take her down and I'll send her to hell
Don't give a f*** if this vision is scary
In their minds they've got salvation to sell
Don't live your life like the walking corpses
You be the wolf; see the prey, take it down
Tonight's the night that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight we'll turn it around
And why can't we see some things weren't meant to be?
We're getting no answers, we're getting no answers
There needs to be some rationality
We're getting no answers, we're getting no answers
Hands out, eyes up, lack of knowledge abound
Now is the time that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Run away, run away, little baby
Run away, run away from the sun
Run away, run away, little baby
This is your life, that's the way that it's done
And why can't we see some things weren't meant to be?
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
There needs to be some rationality
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
Don't live your life like the walking corpses
Hands out, eyes up, lack of knowledge abound
Now is the time that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Run away, run away, little baby
Run away, run away from the sun
Run away, run away, little baby
This is your life, that's the way that it's done
And I'll fight for you
Against these lies they say are true
And I'll fight for you
We'll break across and start anew
And run away, run away, run away
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
And run away, run away
We're getting no answers, getting no answers
I'll bite the head off the Virgin Mary
I'll take her down and I'll send her to hell
I'll bite the head off the Virgin Mary
I'll take her down and I'll send her to hell
Don't give a f*** if this vision is scary
In their minds they've got salvation to sell
Don't live your life like the walking corpses
You be the wolf; see the prey, take it down
Tonight's the night that we look for the answers
Tonight, tonight we'll turn it around
And why can't we see some things weren't meant to be?
We're getting no answers, we're getting no answers
There needs to be some rationality
We're getting no answers, we're getting no answers
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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”
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.