"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.
She's saying we wear the party all over our bodies and faces
What allows me to speak in wild abstractions
The senseless killings gifts God gives us have no one to love them
It's the kind of thought that kills you twice on the way down
You might forget them but you're not nice they don't forget about you
How they claw me in my false or foster reflection
Is that my reflection in the Damascus play?
How they claw me in my foster or false reflection
You should call me sometime.
I won't answer but, at least I'll know you care.
(How will you know it was me?)
You think I got caller ID?
I guess I should be happy for you, for your success and all that
But your fame ain't got nothing for us
I supported you kid, back when no one else did (oh yeah, oh yeah)
You know I waved your flag, back when no one else did
I just want things to be the way they used to be,
When you only set a place for me
The great chorus of my skull is choking on their dulcer tones
Ten lashes on the ass of anyone who even tries and
Heaven's patience glaring down at us filling your room with black butterflies
You don't have to try to steal no nothing from my heart
Because for you anything you want is always free
Send your freaky fantasies to my phone
Black Converse on and an ice cream cone
Now that I'm not a virgin to you you'll never walk alone
Far beyond the several years of shame
I live to make you call my name
(Call my name)
Guess I should be happy for you, for your success and all that
But your fame ain't got nothing for us
I was your booster babe, back when no one else cared (oh yeah, oh yeah)
You know I celebrated you (I'm hard for you girl),
Back when no one else even thought to
I just want things to be the way they used to be
When you only saved a seat for me
Come back! Come back!
I feel so at peace
Why is the sky karma
I think I'm the one I got from
What allows me to speak in wild abstractions
The senseless killings gifts God gives us have no one to love them
It's the kind of thought that kills you twice on the way down
You might forget them but you're not nice they don't forget about you
How they claw me in my false or foster reflection
Is that my reflection in the Damascus play?
How they claw me in my foster or false reflection
You should call me sometime.
I won't answer but, at least I'll know you care.
(How will you know it was me?)
You think I got caller ID?
I guess I should be happy for you, for your success and all that
But your fame ain't got nothing for us
I supported you kid, back when no one else did (oh yeah, oh yeah)
You know I waved your flag, back when no one else did
I just want things to be the way they used to be,
When you only set a place for me
The great chorus of my skull is choking on their dulcer tones
Ten lashes on the ass of anyone who even tries and
Heaven's patience glaring down at us filling your room with black butterflies
You don't have to try to steal no nothing from my heart
Because for you anything you want is always free
Send your freaky fantasies to my phone
Black Converse on and an ice cream cone
Now that I'm not a virgin to you you'll never walk alone
Far beyond the several years of shame
I live to make you call my name
(Call my name)
Guess I should be happy for you, for your success and all that
But your fame ain't got nothing for us
I was your booster babe, back when no one else cared (oh yeah, oh yeah)
You know I celebrated you (I'm hard for you girl),
Back when no one else even thought to
I just want things to be the way they used to be
When you only saved a seat for me
Come back! Come back!
I feel so at peace
Why is the sky karma
I think I'm the one I got from
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
phallus means penis. so the song title means three penises, to end a sentence! Kevin said that he "had fun" making all of the titles, so it might not be that important. but he is definitely referring to the penis meaning of the word phallus, because he does it in id engager and maybe other songs.