"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.
When I stand before you shining in the early morning sun
When I feel the engines roar and I think of what we've done
Oh the bittersweet reflection as we kiss the earth goodbye
As the waves and echoes of the towns become the ghosts of time
Over borders that divide the earthbound tribes
No creed and no religion, just a hundred winged souls
We will ride this thunderbird, silver shadows on the earth
A thousand leagues away, our land of birth
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
Curving on the edge of daylight 'til it slips into the void
Waited in the long night, dreaming 'til the sun is born again
Stretched the fingers of my hand, covered countries with my span
Just a lonely satellite, speck of dust and cosmic sand
Over borders that divide the earthbound tribes
Through the dark Atlantic, over mariners stormy graves
We will ride this thunderbird, silver shadows on the earth
A thousand leagues away, our land of birth
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
Coming home, far away when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
When I feel the engines roar and I think of what we've done
Oh the bittersweet reflection as we kiss the earth goodbye
As the waves and echoes of the towns become the ghosts of time
Over borders that divide the earthbound tribes
No creed and no religion, just a hundred winged souls
We will ride this thunderbird, silver shadows on the earth
A thousand leagues away, our land of birth
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
Curving on the edge of daylight 'til it slips into the void
Waited in the long night, dreaming 'til the sun is born again
Stretched the fingers of my hand, covered countries with my span
Just a lonely satellite, speck of dust and cosmic sand
Over borders that divide the earthbound tribes
Through the dark Atlantic, over mariners stormy graves
We will ride this thunderbird, silver shadows on the earth
A thousand leagues away, our land of birth
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
To Albion's land
Coming home when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
Coming home, far away when I see the runway lights
In the misty dawn the night is fading fast
Coming home, far away as their vapor trails align
Where I've been tonight, you know I will not stay
Lyrics submitted by star tripper
Coming Home Lyrics as written by Bruce Dickinson Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Bruce Dickinson wrote beautifully pictorial lyrics about landing his aircraft after a long journey through the air, which could be interpreted also as the end of life or retirement - going along with the dual themes of The Final Frontier.
Something that caught my attention was the pre-chorus. The two separate pre-choruses are about the things that can divide humans: religion and country of origin. Though on earth there may be racial and religious tensions, no belief system or place of birth can divide this team of brothers.
Unless Bruce is taking pot-shots at Christianity with his lyrics for this album (unlikely, even on Starblind), this is likely the correct interpretation. Feel free to continue this point, though.
Its not about retirement. In there is an interview in the mission edition CD and they said that they want to keep making albums until the cant anymore.
The album theme may not be Iron Maiden's retirement, but nonetheless, it is about the subject in general...
I was at the concert last night, and Bruce introduced the song by explaining how humbling it is each time he gets into the plane and about flying it all the way around the world.<br /> <br /> He also noted about how when they are all on the plane, (pre chorus) there is no separation, discrimination, and no one cares what religion are believe in, where you come from, or who you are, and that we are just one hundred million souls coming home!<br /> <br /> Amazing song and even better Live!!
Bruce also said when he introduced this song in manchester on the 28th of july that its about there somwhere back in time world tour, about the flying experience ect and that at the end of tours there always "coming home" playing in the uk last
@Octavarium64 Yes I agree that it has some aircraft relevance to the magic of flight BUT I researched some key words after looking at the lyrics and it turns out Albion is possibly ancient word for Great Britain so this may either mean Bruce Dickinson is indeed coming home to England OR it may refer to the Bombers of WWII returning to their airfields after bombing missions over Germany: "As the waves and echoes of the towns become the ghosts of time"<br />
Thats spot on Octavarium(one of my favorite DT albums btw :) ) Although I would disagree with the retirement, because despite what everyone is saying, I don't think this is Maidens last album. I bet they'll continue to make music until they die haha
But yeah, as Octavarium said, this song is simply about Bruce flying his plane and the chorus is about him landing it. Simple enough and still an awesome song!
I saw Maiden in Helsinki a month ago and Bruce said that this is not their last album and they will be back!
My favourite off the new record. So beautiful. A nice little love child of Omega from Bruce's solo record Accident of Birth and Out of the Shadows of AMOLAD. He sings with such conviction and a beautiful solo toward the end just makes the song that much better.
The theme of the record seems to be journeys in general, not Maiden's retirement (although WTWWB scared me as it sounded a tad like a swan song). Coming Home is just about flying home to Britain (Albion's land) and the feeling behind the wheel of a Boeing 757. I just love that lyric: "Stretched the fingers of my hand, covered countries with my span Just a lonely satellite, speck of dust and cosmic sand"
Chills.
I believe (as it was stated above) that this song is about a journey. Analizing it deeper i think Bruce (assuming he wrote the lyrics by himself) is refering to returning to the UK after a tour (Somewhere Back In Time World Tour perhaps)and finally landing the plane. <br /> <br /> The first verse i believe it refers to them leaving the country they last played in (it mentions the sound of the engines and the country being left behind), <br /> <br /> The prechorus refering to the plane flying above different countries("over borders that divide the earthbound tribes") while the line "No creed and no religion just a hundred winged souls" might refer to the maiden crew (not sure though)<br /> <br /> The chorus refering to the arrval in itself (Albion's land being the UK)and the second verse refering to Bruce flying the plane over the atlantic (which makes the possibility of the song being about the SBiTWT even more likely since it ended in the US)
When I first heard this song I instantly thought back to a book that I'm currently reading called Tail End Charlie which is about the RAF and USAAF bomber crews. I know that the RAF bombers flew at night and the chorus made me think of the many pilots who were cold, scared and tired seeing the very welcome sight of their home airfield and landing their damaged Lancaster, Halifax or Sterling.
As a pilot myself I could listen to this song over and over again, just listening to it makes me think of my cross country solo, flying several hours in the summer sun, coming home to the small grass aerodrome and drinking an ice cold glass of lager in the garden at home afterwards.
Octavarium, my first thoughts were the ones I've wrote above but I reckon that you are probably right, the landing after the long journey is probably the end of the Somewhere Back In Time tour. I'm a bit disappointed with myself that I didn't consider the song being about Bruce Dickinson flying the plane until I came here and saw your post. I don't think Iron Maiden will retire, look at bands like the Rolling Stones, The Who (yes I know there is only two original members) and AC/DC, performing is in their blood, muscle and in their bones, bands like that don't retire.
With The Who, it's not just only two original members, they're the only surviving members. (Still, love all those bands you listed.)<br /> <br /> I'm also a pilot and absolutely love this song, good connection to it after hearing it for the first time. After spending time away, whether it's days, months, or even years, few things are as symbolic as seeing those runway lights as your about to touch down on your way home.
this song is one of the greatest Iron Maiden songs, the instrumental, the solo, the vocal, man that guy's really still got it! all the band has progressed and overpassed themselves! but what most struck me is the lyrics!! it really makes you live the moment! IMO that this song talks about the theme of it's album (leaving earth and to the cosmos), that we are ruining the earth with wars, global warming, you name it.."and i think of what we've done" and naturely the peaple are looking to another planet to find life or a new habitat, i think this is the new "home", so the "astronaut" describes us his journey to "albion's land"
Bruce also said when he introduced this song in manchester on the 28th of july that its about there somwhere back in time world tour, about the flying experience ect and that at the end of tours there always "coming home" playing in the uk last
This song always makes me think of the feeling i get when i arrive home from my travels. Bruce says it so perfectly at the end of the chorus "Where i've been tonight, you know i will not stay"... Albion is a reference to England. Also his love for England comes through when he talks of the misty dawn. No country on earth has that continuios fog thing you get in London. Songs like this goes best when you miss home. Just you, your ipod, and the quietness of night. Man, i love this band.