"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.
let's paint the city eiffel tower green
and go on a holiday, go on vacation
this is the closest that you've ever been
but you're still so far away from your destination
you drive an hour but it feels like days
it's just buildings and buildings and buildings
and when you finally leave suburban haze
you're quietly shocked at the thought that we kill things
the black house, the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
the blue sky
we left a photograph in letterhead
found in the morning in newspaper sunlight
we left it lying in the kitchen chair
and when you find it, we hope that it reads right
it's never easy when we write goodbye
but goodbye is the one word we know
you'll never make it but we have to try
give in, give up, and let go
give up and let go
the black house, the blue sky (you and I)
in the black house, the blue sky
the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
this black house, the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
this black house, the blue sky
the blue sky (blue sky)
we left the ending locked inside that room
and you hold the key
you push open the door
and then you see
you see the black house and the blue sky
and you and I
you see the black house and the blue sky
and you and I
you see the black house and the blue sky
and go on a holiday, go on vacation
this is the closest that you've ever been
but you're still so far away from your destination
you drive an hour but it feels like days
it's just buildings and buildings and buildings
and when you finally leave suburban haze
you're quietly shocked at the thought that we kill things
the black house, the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
the blue sky
we left a photograph in letterhead
found in the morning in newspaper sunlight
we left it lying in the kitchen chair
and when you find it, we hope that it reads right
it's never easy when we write goodbye
but goodbye is the one word we know
you'll never make it but we have to try
give in, give up, and let go
give up and let go
the black house, the blue sky (you and I)
in the black house, the blue sky
the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
this black house, the blue sky
the black house, the blue sky
this black house, the blue sky
the blue sky (blue sky)
we left the ending locked inside that room
and you hold the key
you push open the door
and then you see
you see the black house and the blue sky
and you and I
you see the black house and the blue sky
and you and I
you see the black house and the blue sky
Lyrics submitted by bambis
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
Pretty sure it's
"It's never easy when we write goodbye but goodbye is the one word we know"
and
"we left the ending locked inside that room"