"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.
So make of this what you will
So many little shots in the dark
The same records, the same shoes and a smile that almost
Broke your heart
Yeah, I'm all for local history
3 things I'll remember
Her pasta was shit
She left with a CD still playing
And you
You always threw your arms around me in your sleep
Ooh
See that girl?
In the left-hand corner
I said, you see that guy?
Their love story is famous
Break hard
Every breath that showed
Every step I missed
I'm bound to make it brighter
I remember that night clearer now
I turned up, why the hell are we drinking up?
Holding hands and losing touch
I said it, I said it, I said it
Now I'm walking away
So many little shots in the dark
The same records, the same shoes and a smile that almost
Broke your heart
Yeah, I'm all for local history
3 things I'll remember
Her pasta was shit
She left with a CD still playing
And you
You always threw your arms around me in your sleep
Ooh
See that girl?
In the left-hand corner
I said, you see that guy?
Their love story is famous
Break hard
Every breath that showed
Every step I missed
I'm bound to make it brighter
I remember that night clearer now
I turned up, why the hell are we drinking up?
Holding hands and losing touch
I said it, I said it, I said it
Now I'm walking away
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Think it's:
See that girl? In the left [b]hand[/b] corner I said, you see that [b]guy[/b]? [b]His[/b] love story [b]is[/b] famous
Break hard Every breath that showed Every [b]step[/b] I missed [b]I've had to make you[/b] brighter [b]I remember that night clearly[/b] now [b]I turned up, why the hell are we drinking out?[/b] Holding hands and losing touch I said it, I said it, I said it [b]Now I'm walking[/b] away
OK, so html doesn't work.
Alternatively:
See that girl? In the left hand corner You see that guy? His love story is famous
Break hard Every breath that showed Every step I missed I've had to make you brighter I remember that night clearly now I turned up, why the hell are we drinking out? Holding hands and losing touch I said it, I said it, I said it Now I'm walking away
This song uses a piece of music from the end of Sunset Cinema Club's Candles which was on the split EP they did with JoFo.
Haha, or not. I'm an idiot. Candles (and Cults) is an old JoFo song from their real debut...
Haha, or not. Candles is a different song to Candles and Cults. Candles is on their B-Sides thingy. Not like anyone is reading this...
i read it ;)!!
Candles is an old JoFo song which SCC covered on their split single. There's a version of it on I Like You Mostly Late At Never