"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.
Hello
We haven't talked in quite some time
I know
I haven't been the best
Of sons, hello, I've been traveling in the desert of my mind
And I
Haven't found a drop
Of life
I haven't found a drop
Of you, I haven't found a drop
I haven't found a drop
Of water
Water
I try desperately to run through the sand
As I hold the water in the palm of my hand
'Cause it's all that I have and it's all that I need and
The waves of the water mean nothing to me
But I try my best and all that I can
To hold tightly onto what's left in my hand
But no matter how, how tightly I will strain
The sand will slow me down and the water will drain
I'm just being dramatic, in fact, I'm only at it again
As an addict with a pen, who's addicted to the wind
As it blows me back and forth, mindless, spineless, and pretend
Of course I'll be here again, see you tomorrow, but it's the end of today
End of my ways as a walking denial
My trial was filed as a crazy suicidal head case
But you specialize in dying, you hear me screaming "father"
And I'm lying here just crying, so wash me with your water
Water
Hello
I haven't talked in quite some time
I know
I haven't been the best
Of sons, hello, I've been traveling in the desert of my mind
And I
I haven't found a drop
Of life
I haven't found a drop
Of you
I haven't found a drop
I haven't found a drop
Of water
We haven't talked in quite some time
I know
I haven't been the best
Of sons, hello, I've been traveling in the desert of my mind
And I
Haven't found a drop
Of life
I haven't found a drop
Of you, I haven't found a drop
I haven't found a drop
Of water
Water
I try desperately to run through the sand
As I hold the water in the palm of my hand
'Cause it's all that I have and it's all that I need and
The waves of the water mean nothing to me
But I try my best and all that I can
To hold tightly onto what's left in my hand
But no matter how, how tightly I will strain
The sand will slow me down and the water will drain
I'm just being dramatic, in fact, I'm only at it again
As an addict with a pen, who's addicted to the wind
As it blows me back and forth, mindless, spineless, and pretend
Of course I'll be here again, see you tomorrow, but it's the end of today
End of my ways as a walking denial
My trial was filed as a crazy suicidal head case
But you specialize in dying, you hear me screaming "father"
And I'm lying here just crying, so wash me with your water
Water
Hello
I haven't talked in quite some time
I know
I haven't been the best
Of sons, hello, I've been traveling in the desert of my mind
And I
I haven't found a drop
Of life
I haven't found a drop
Of you
I haven't found a drop
I haven't found a drop
Of water
Lyrics submitted by tavman, edited by austinedward, lauravantc
Addict With A Pen Lyrics as written by Tyler Joseph
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
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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.
I know people think this song is all Christian meaning, but I am pretty much an Atheist. This does not mean that the true meaning is wrong, I agree, it's about Jesus or whatever, and that's awesome, but my personal interpretation reminds me of a son and father who are distant and the son writes this song to his dad explaining how they havent been talking and that he misses him and needs him and how he is struggling in life, and he needs his father's wisdom and support that he has little of, which reminds me of the part where the singer says "I hold the water in the palm of my hand" referring to his memories, wisdom, and support from his father. When the verse continues and the water is lost, i believe it means that his relationship with his father is basically ruined and that the son is alone with no water, which can represent a necessity of life, especially in the desert. And a son needs his father, so the water and the desert have a lot of meaning to me.
@Shane73607 this is very true. However as I read this all I think of is our heavenly Father. Which is what we need. The heavenly Father's love. He has run go the world and been drained... He is in need of water (life/The Father). And this is what we are all in need of. It just can be difficult due to our sin nature and chasing wordly desires. But we cannot have both which is where we all struggle with the pull between the world and the living water which would be the love of our heavenly Father Jesus Christ. Thank you for you post. It made me happy whether you meant to write about Christ or not... I felt the love of Christ through your writing and I am able to relate much to this. I struggle between the world and the true love of Christ which I crave so much. Two cravings... (World and love) but sometimes I struggle with looking for that love in the world rather than in the one who truly loves and knows my heart... The alpha and omega... Our heavenly father. Thank you.
@Shane73607 I agree with you.<br /> It just honestly seems more realistic...
@Shane73607 My dad died two years ago today. That is exactly what this song means to me.
@Shane73607 I am very happy to see that you brought this up, and it makes me so extremely happy. Tyler and Josh have said that there songs of course have a meaning that is important to them, but the song is made for you. You take the music and you apply it to yourself, with what it means to you and how it makes you feel. That's the beauty of the band. Thank you for posting that comment, it literally made my day.
@Shane73607 tbf that's a similar relationship to a Christian and their holy father, who is never physically there. I've lost my dad seven years ago, so I see that side of the meaning, but I'm also Christian so I also relate with the religious interpretation
@Shane73607 I'm not an atheist but I prefer to see the song through your interpretation <br />
@Shane73607 I’m an atheist also and I stand with u brother u are right. I like this interpretation. LONG LIVE THE PILOTS
@Shane73607 What you are describing or your interpretation is the literal meaning. While the god interpretation is the figurative meaning. All song lyrics are poems, and they all have a deeper meaning.
@Shane73607 <br /> I value both interpretations. My relationship with my earthly father has been complicated to say the least. Over the years he's kind of disappeared every now and again. Only to show back up just to push me away again somehow. Whether it's basically disowning me because I'm not happy about some club he's joined or the worst insult he can come up with is my gender which somehow makes me horrible, or when he was physically abusive. It ticks me off that it's never been a normal life. <br /> I value the Christian interpretation because I've hit rock bottom multiple times and my faith in God is the only thing that's gotten me through. <br /> This song has a double meaning for me.