"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.
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Somebody
Test my reality
Check if there's a weak spot
Clingin' to insanity
Hopes the world will ease up
Try to make it look like it's all somehow getting better
'Cause I know how to play it pretty good against the measure
Everyone started out a little insane
But we learn pretty quick how to fake it for the game
But some of you never learned to drop the act
So under that skin of yours: a heart attack
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
And if I had the answers I'd have written them out
So I could tell you what to do and what this thing is about
But all I've ever learned comes second-hand
And I dare not preach what I don't understand
You and I; we share the same disease
Cover up; compromise what we grieve
I've let more than my share of revivals die
This isn't pretty but it's who I am tonight
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Pointing my fingers the problems still linger
They keep getting bigger and I hold the trigger
Playing with fire I live like a liar
Please somebody make a move
Somebody make a move (I'm pointing my fingers)
Somebody make a move (The problems still linger)
Somebody make a move (I'm pointing my fingers)
Somebody
Somebody make a move
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody
Test my reality
Check if there's a weak spot
Clingin' to insanity
Hopes the world will ease up
Try to make it look like it's all somehow getting better
'Cause I know how to play it pretty good against the measure
Everyone started out a little insane
But we learn pretty quick how to fake it for the game
But some of you never learned to drop the act
So under that skin of yours: a heart attack
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
And if I had the answers I'd have written them out
So I could tell you what to do and what this thing is about
But all I've ever learned comes second-hand
And I dare not preach what I don't understand
You and I; we share the same disease
Cover up; compromise what we grieve
I've let more than my share of revivals die
This isn't pretty but it's who I am tonight
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Pointing my fingers the problems still linger
They keep getting bigger and I hold the trigger
Playing with fire I live like a liar
Please somebody make a move
Somebody make a move (I'm pointing my fingers)
Somebody make a move (The problems still linger)
Somebody make a move (I'm pointing my fingers)
Somebody
Somebody make a move
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
'Cause everybody's so scared
We don't wanna go there
We don't wanna make a move
We got got all our lives to lose
Screaming in the dark while we just play our part
I'll play right along
Like I don't know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Somebody make a move
Somebody make a move
Please somebody make a move
We all know
We all know what's going on
Lyrics submitted by invisiboy42293
Make a Move Lyrics as written by Waynne Nugent Kevin Risto
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song talks about a lot. The first paragraph seems to talk about identity and belonging along with the lengths we go to to fit In. The song shows a person literally having a mental breakdown trying to sustain the persona they require to fit in. It goes on to say that everyone is different but we are often forced to act "normal" until we overcome this or it breaks us.
The second verse is about the issue of society's tendency to discourage people from thinking and acting for themselves outside their direct role. we always think that the job of fixing things should be left to "someone more qualified" rather than doing something ourselves and failing. Often ignoring the chance of our own success.
the third verse is about competetive nature of society with each success we achieve often being taken from someone else (jobs, money, fame, etc) and saying we should rather work together than try to climb over others to survive.
The final verse talks about people especially those in power often making a point of placing the blame yet not actually doing anything about it. With many government parties using important issues to simply reduce their oppositions standing than actually taking them seriously. Many of the large companies and organisations also try to shift the blame if they are found to be contributing to the problem.