"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.
Roses in the car
Roses in the car
Bony saddle, bony street
Corrugated iron sheet
This bed is not concrete
This bed in which you sleep
Flesh is flesh til blood runs cold
And blood is blood, so I am told
Your carbon makes a star
Your carbon makes a star
And after all, that's all we are
After all, that's all we are
That’s all we are
That’s all we are
That’s all we are
All these young men, these young lions
All these young men, these young lions
You don't know if it’s true
Or if to believe in you
There are tunnels through the stone
Where weaker hearts have made a home
Their roses in a car
Their roses in a car
And after all that's all we are
After all that's all we are
And isn't it bizarre
The adults that we are
Still playing
Follow the leader
Body don't break
Body don't break
Body don't break
Til broken
Body gonna make
Body gonna make
Body gonna make
Another body
Don't want to be the last to leave
Roses in the car
Bony saddle, bony street
Corrugated iron sheet
This bed is not concrete
This bed in which you sleep
Flesh is flesh til blood runs cold
And blood is blood, so I am told
Your carbon makes a star
Your carbon makes a star
And after all, that's all we are
After all, that's all we are
That’s all we are
That’s all we are
That’s all we are
All these young men, these young lions
All these young men, these young lions
You don't know if it’s true
Or if to believe in you
There are tunnels through the stone
Where weaker hearts have made a home
Their roses in a car
Their roses in a car
And after all that's all we are
After all that's all we are
And isn't it bizarre
The adults that we are
Still playing
Follow the leader
Body don't break
Body don't break
Body don't break
Til broken
Body gonna make
Body gonna make
Body gonna make
Another body
Don't want to be the last to leave
Lyrics submitted by Tennie7
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
My belief is this is a song reference to the horrors and decimation First World War.
"Lions lead by donkeys" is a well used quote. Therefore 'Young Lions' is an extension of this. Plus "All these young men, these young lions" is a definite military reference.
It's not totally apparent but some pointers lead me in this belief...
"Bony saddle, bony street"... horses not vehicles were the main mode of transport. "Corrugated iron sheet"... used to reinforce the walls of the trenches "This bed is not concrete, This bed in which you sleep"... see above.
"Your carbon makes a star"... reference to the missing dead in unmarked graves. Family and friends never had the bodies repatriated so look to the heavens for their loved ones.
"There are tunnels through the stone"... tunnelling was rife to undermine the opposing trenches. "The adults that we are, Still playing, Follow the leader"... reference to the thousands killed whilst walking in line to the trenches.
I seriously do hope it's about the First World War, as (for a relatively young band) it shows a depth of understanding of both world events and of the human condition beyond their years. Respect due.