"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.
You say your time has come
You're tire of waking up
Don't be obscene,
I can't conceive of
Living without you
You say you drag me down
No one should want you now
I start to cry,
You kiss my eyes and say
I'm not allowed to
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
That single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
You were a child forgot
Lessons of love untaught
Now no embrace can quite replace
The one that never found you
I was raised tenderly
All that was taught to me
I will apply,
Your parents tried
But they didn't know how to
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
That single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
Let me stand by you
The honor is mine
Let me stand by you
Loneliest light
Loneliest light
Loneliest light
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
A single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
You're tire of waking up
Don't be obscene,
I can't conceive of
Living without you
You say you drag me down
No one should want you now
I start to cry,
You kiss my eyes and say
I'm not allowed to
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
That single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
You were a child forgot
Lessons of love untaught
Now no embrace can quite replace
The one that never found you
I was raised tenderly
All that was taught to me
I will apply,
Your parents tried
But they didn't know how to
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
That single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
Let me stand by you
The honor is mine
Let me stand by you
Loneliest light
Loneliest light
Loneliest light
Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat or see its lights
A single solitary guide
It must get lonely there sometimes
Lyrics submitted by dustybreeze
The Beacon Lyrics as written by Alison Loren Sudol Alison Sudol
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
i agree with jakychap. seems like if someone was "tired of waking up" they don't want to be alive anymore. it's a complex thing dealing with the suicide of someone you love because no matter how hard you try to make them feel wanted (You were a child forgot lessons of love untaught. Now no embrace can quite replace The one that never found you) if they don't love themselves then there's nothing you can do and have no choice but to let it happen. this song is amazing. i love it.