"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.
I know if I'll make it through this winter without you by my side
I waited for you so long while I traveled far and wide
Convinced myself there's no one better, so how could I deny
Your love, it's like a thorn into my side
My friends they understand me better but don't whisper goodnight
I want a lover and a sister, but we know that's not right
You used to listen to my music, I always wondered why
I wish I could pretend you make me try
I want the days to come, I want these sleepless nights to end
I lie here thinking how I lost you to all your stupid friends
You made me feel so foolish for the twenty-second time
Your love might be the last time that I try
Don't know if I'll make it through this winter without you on my own
I waited here for you forever, I can't believe you'd go
I may not have the answers, but I'd rather never know
Your love was such a heavy, heavy blow
Goodnight my love, you seemed so nice 'til I knew you better
Now I can tell you're always thinking twice about what might be better
On the outside, there's no conscience, you're a victim of your cautiousness
You don't try, you just lie there hoping that someone will come to make it right
I waited for you so long while I traveled far and wide
Convinced myself there's no one better, so how could I deny
Your love, it's like a thorn into my side
My friends they understand me better but don't whisper goodnight
I want a lover and a sister, but we know that's not right
You used to listen to my music, I always wondered why
I wish I could pretend you make me try
I want the days to come, I want these sleepless nights to end
I lie here thinking how I lost you to all your stupid friends
You made me feel so foolish for the twenty-second time
Your love might be the last time that I try
Don't know if I'll make it through this winter without you on my own
I waited here for you forever, I can't believe you'd go
I may not have the answers, but I'd rather never know
Your love was such a heavy, heavy blow
Goodnight my love, you seemed so nice 'til I knew you better
Now I can tell you're always thinking twice about what might be better
On the outside, there's no conscience, you're a victim of your cautiousness
You don't try, you just lie there hoping that someone will come to make it right
Lyrics submitted by evanreyes, edited by tuscan3000
Winter Lyrics as written by Keir Long Andrea Gobbi
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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No Surprises
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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.
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
This could not be any closer to what happened to me last week. And it's still in winter. Weird how that works, huh?