"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.
This is not the end
This is not the beginning
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
And though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em
We say, "yeah"
With fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there
'Cause we're living at the mercy of
The pain and the fear
Until we dead it, forget it
Let it all disappear
Waiting for the end to come
Wishing I had strength to stand
This is not what I had planned
It's out of my control
Flying at the speed of light
Thoughts were spinning in my head
So many things were left unsaid
It's hard to let you go
I know what it takes to move on
I know how it feels to lie
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Sitting in an empty room
Trying to forget the past
This was never meant to last
I wish it wasn't so
I know what it takes to move on
I know how it feels to lie
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Yeah, yeah
What was left when that fire was gone?
I thought it felt right but that right was wrong
All caught up in the eye of the storm
Tryna figure out what it's like moving on
And I don't even know what kind of things I've said
My mouth kept moving and my mind went dead
So, picking up the pieces, now where to begin?
The hardest part of ending is starting again
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
This is not the end
This is not the beginning
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision (I'm holding on to what I haven't got)
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
And though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em
We say, "yeah"
With fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there
'Cause we're living at the mercy of (holding on to what I haven't got)
The pain and the fear
Until we dead it, forget it
Let it all disappear
This is not the beginning
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
And though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em
We say, "yeah"
With fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there
'Cause we're living at the mercy of
The pain and the fear
Until we dead it, forget it
Let it all disappear
Waiting for the end to come
Wishing I had strength to stand
This is not what I had planned
It's out of my control
Flying at the speed of light
Thoughts were spinning in my head
So many things were left unsaid
It's hard to let you go
I know what it takes to move on
I know how it feels to lie
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Sitting in an empty room
Trying to forget the past
This was never meant to last
I wish it wasn't so
I know what it takes to move on
I know how it feels to lie
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
Yeah, yeah
What was left when that fire was gone?
I thought it felt right but that right was wrong
All caught up in the eye of the storm
Tryna figure out what it's like moving on
And I don't even know what kind of things I've said
My mouth kept moving and my mind went dead
So, picking up the pieces, now where to begin?
The hardest part of ending is starting again
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I haven't got
This is not the end
This is not the beginning
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision (I'm holding on to what I haven't got)
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
And though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em
We say, "yeah"
With fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there
'Cause we're living at the mercy of (holding on to what I haven't got)
The pain and the fear
Until we dead it, forget it
Let it all disappear
Lyrics submitted by MusicFREAK20
Waiting for the End Lyrics as written by Chester Charles Bennington Brad Delson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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What I could get from this song was maybe someone wanting to love another person who is just getting over a bad break up. Like... 'Waiting for the end to come'
is the person who wants to go out with the person getting over a bad break up, waiting for the other person to get over it.
'Wishing I had strength to stand This is not what I had planned It's out of my control Flying at the speed of light Thoughts were spinning in my head So many things were left unsaid It's hard to let you go'
Is the person still trying to get over everything, but still can't.
'I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I want to do Is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got'
They are telling the person they know how hard it is to try and get over something like that, and that they know how it feels when you have to lie when you say, 'Yeah, I'm OK.' And they are holding on to what they haven't got when they are trying to love someone who still loves someone else.