"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.
I'm gonna be straight with you
This is the end of the world
You either wake up or you don't
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Air Force Bomber, come with the quickness
Chemical Warfare, a bucket of sickness
Annihilation, written thesis
Bomb and leashes, shrapnel pieces
Political dynasty, vigorous lies
Multi-dead, on the rise
Realize the demise
It's all over, no surprise
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Chilling with pipe bombs, fatherless sons
Ain't no saving private Ryan but I've taken his guns
'Cause there's a war outside and it's far from being done
I only speak for myself I know I'm not the only one
Fuckers got us with the planes set us back on 911
Families endure the pain got a twisted view of heaven
Need a rabbi or a reverend, I just follow the ghost
I keep an extra four pounds right up under my coat
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Cruise missiles are soaring
Helicopters are whirling
Crusty cops are firing
Bomb shelters are siren
Soldiers are crawling
Politicians stalling
Insurgents prowling
Casualties are rising
Life is a nightmare, I'm dreaming of death
Nothing else is promised, no, I won't hold my breath
Still talking to death, still choking the rest
Don't know when no one can be trusted only once for the left
Stepping out I'm in the dark. You wanna keep me in the cold
Ripping out ain't that your heart I'm-a causing to explode
'Cause you're screwin' money, law, motherfucker '95
You don't know me keep on moving, I'm just trying to stay alive
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
This is the end of the world
You either wake up or you don't
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Air Force Bomber, come with the quickness
Chemical Warfare, a bucket of sickness
Annihilation, written thesis
Bomb and leashes, shrapnel pieces
Political dynasty, vigorous lies
Multi-dead, on the rise
Realize the demise
It's all over, no surprise
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Chilling with pipe bombs, fatherless sons
Ain't no saving private Ryan but I've taken his guns
'Cause there's a war outside and it's far from being done
I only speak for myself I know I'm not the only one
Fuckers got us with the planes set us back on 911
Families endure the pain got a twisted view of heaven
Need a rabbi or a reverend, I just follow the ghost
I keep an extra four pounds right up under my coat
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Cruise missiles are soaring
Helicopters are whirling
Crusty cops are firing
Bomb shelters are siren
Soldiers are crawling
Politicians stalling
Insurgents prowling
Casualties are rising
Life is a nightmare, I'm dreaming of death
Nothing else is promised, no, I won't hold my breath
Still talking to death, still choking the rest
Don't know when no one can be trusted only once for the left
Stepping out I'm in the dark. You wanna keep me in the cold
Ripping out ain't that your heart I'm-a causing to explode
'Cause you're screwin' money, law, motherfucker '95
You don't know me keep on moving, I'm just trying to stay alive
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now! Apocalypse Now!
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Apocalypse Now Lyrics as written by Rob Aston Travis Barker
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Blue
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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
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.