"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.
Do what you, what you want
If you have a dream for better
Do what you, what you want
'Til you don't want it anymore (remember who you really are)
Do what you, what you want
Your world's closing in on you now (it isn't over)
Stand and face the unknown (got to remember who you really are)
Every heart in my hands like a pale reflection
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe we can break through
Do what you, what you want
You don't have to lay your life down (is it over?)
Do what you, what you want
'Til you find what you're looking for (got to remember who you really are)
But every hour slipping by screams that I have failed you
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe
There's still time, close your eyes
Only love will guide you home
Tear down the walls and free your soul
'Til we crash we're forever spiraling down, down, down, down
Hello, hello, it's only me
Infecting everything you love
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to learn forgiveness
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe we can break through
Remember who you really are
Do what you want, you want
If you have a dream for better
Do what you, what you want
'Til you don't want it anymore (remember who you really are)
Do what you, what you want
Your world's closing in on you now (it isn't over)
Stand and face the unknown (got to remember who you really are)
Every heart in my hands like a pale reflection
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe we can break through
Do what you, what you want
You don't have to lay your life down (is it over?)
Do what you, what you want
'Til you find what you're looking for (got to remember who you really are)
But every hour slipping by screams that I have failed you
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe
There's still time, close your eyes
Only love will guide you home
Tear down the walls and free your soul
'Til we crash we're forever spiraling down, down, down, down
Hello, hello, it's only me
Infecting everything you love
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to learn forgiveness
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain
There must be a way to believe we can break through
Remember who you really are
Do what you want, you want
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
They're baaaack! Love it!