"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 thrill here is quicker than you'd think
The way some jet-lagged bar kept pouring the wine
From over their heads then sit back down again
Four times is once too much for luck
And that's how many times the clock struck
I wandered home saying your name
The arches here were built 'cause they don't fall
The cathedrals to make you feel small
You might find your small soul
But leave the preaching to the president
The crowd cheers, his eyes get wet, I'm full as it is, I'm full as it is
So don't feed me more
You'll be having my head, big as a birthday
'Cause I left all my doubts on the airplane
I didn't know, I didn't know I'm not in control
I didn't know, I'm not invincible
Now maybe some things are better left unsaid
But if you wanted to test that out, well, yeah, I guess, I could've said
But there were nights in bars that I recall
Your breath was courage laced with alcohol
You leaned in, you said
"Make music with the chatter in here
And whisper all the notes in my ears"
I didn't know, I didn't know the weight of my tongue
I didn't know, I didn't know what I'd done
The lights here are softer than you'd think
The dim lit peacocks in the trees
Are hiding their eyes and their beauty, like me
But if my eyes were on my back
I know what I'd be looking at
Through every shade of browns and greens
I didn't know, I didn't know it was nothing new
I didn't know, I didn't know it was you
The way some jet-lagged bar kept pouring the wine
From over their heads then sit back down again
Four times is once too much for luck
And that's how many times the clock struck
I wandered home saying your name
The arches here were built 'cause they don't fall
The cathedrals to make you feel small
You might find your small soul
But leave the preaching to the president
The crowd cheers, his eyes get wet, I'm full as it is, I'm full as it is
So don't feed me more
You'll be having my head, big as a birthday
'Cause I left all my doubts on the airplane
I didn't know, I didn't know I'm not in control
I didn't know, I'm not invincible
Now maybe some things are better left unsaid
But if you wanted to test that out, well, yeah, I guess, I could've said
But there were nights in bars that I recall
Your breath was courage laced with alcohol
You leaned in, you said
"Make music with the chatter in here
And whisper all the notes in my ears"
I didn't know, I didn't know the weight of my tongue
I didn't know, I didn't know what I'd done
The lights here are softer than you'd think
The dim lit peacocks in the trees
Are hiding their eyes and their beauty, like me
But if my eyes were on my back
I know what I'd be looking at
Through every shade of browns and greens
I didn't know, I didn't know it was nothing new
I didn't know, I didn't know it was you
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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“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.
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How does one get lyrics fixed on this site? "cat dead drawl" makes no sense at all, it is clearly "catedral", given the location of the song.