"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.
Shake me down
Not a lot of people left around
Who knows now
Softly laying on the ground, ooh
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
In my life, I've seen
People walk into the sea
Just to find memories
Plagued by constant misery
Their eyes cast down
Fixed upon the ground
Their eyes cast down
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Shake me down
Cut my hair on a silver cloud
Broken sound
Softly laying on the ground, ooh
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
In my past, bittersweet
There's no love between the sheets
Taste the blood, broken dreams
Lonely times indeed
With eyes cast down
Fixed upon the ground
Eyes cast down
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Turn back now it's time for me to let go
Way down had to find a place to lay low
Lampshade turned around into a light post
Walk around the corner
Never saw it coming, still
I try to make a move
It almost stopped me from belief
I don't wanna know the future
But I'm like Rolling Thunder
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Shake me down
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
Not a lot of people left around
Who knows now
Softly laying on the ground, ooh
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
In my life, I've seen
People walk into the sea
Just to find memories
Plagued by constant misery
Their eyes cast down
Fixed upon the ground
Their eyes cast down
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Shake me down
Cut my hair on a silver cloud
Broken sound
Softly laying on the ground, ooh
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
In my past, bittersweet
There's no love between the sheets
Taste the blood, broken dreams
Lonely times indeed
With eyes cast down
Fixed upon the ground
Eyes cast down
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Turn back now it's time for me to let go
Way down had to find a place to lay low
Lampshade turned around into a light post
Walk around the corner
Never saw it coming, still
I try to make a move
It almost stopped me from belief
I don't wanna know the future
But I'm like Rolling Thunder
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
Even on a cloudy day
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun
Shake me down
Not a lot of people left around, ooh
Lyrics submitted by awholelottabang, edited by BlueDiamondx3, Stealthheart
Shake Me Down Lyrics as written by Daniel Tichenor Brad Shultz
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 4U2ASKY ENTERTAINMENT INC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I don't think it's about drug addiction. The whole bit right here:
In my life, I have seen, People walk into the sea, Just to find memories, Plagued by constant misery, Their eyes cast down, Fixed upon the ground, Their eyes cast down
seems to be about people filled with some kind of dissatisfaction or regret returning to something from the past (usually childhood) trying to capture a glimpse of what they have lost.
I don't know what the last scene of the video means; was the meeting all in his head, his dying thoughts? or is that the next morning after the previous night's candle lighting? I thought the former at first and almost cried; I hope it's the latter.
@nihilistical it's whatever you want it to be. That's whats so great about music; there is never one single interpretation.