"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.
Hey
Hey
Hey
Your lipstick stains
On the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided
You're the one I have decided who's one of my kind
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Just in time
I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me
You gave my life direction
A game show love connection we can't deny
I'm so obsessed
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
The way you can cut a rug
Watching you's the only drug I need
So gangster, I'm so thug
You're the only one I'm dreaming of, you see
I can be myself now finally
In fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you be with me
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Your lipstick stains
On the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided
You're the one I have decided who's one of my kind
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Just in time
I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me
You gave my life direction
A game show love connection we can't deny
I'm so obsessed
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
The way you can cut a rug
Watching you's the only drug I need
So gangster, I'm so thug
You're the only one I'm dreaming of, you see
I can be myself now finally
In fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you be with me
Hey, soul sister
Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?
The way you move ain't fair, you know
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Hey, soul sister
I don't wanna miss a single thing you do
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Tonight
Hey
Hey
Hey
Tonight
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Hey, Soul Sister Lyrics as written by Espen Lind Amund Bjorklund
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
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The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
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.
Seems to have a lot of 80's pop culture references: Soulsister (an 80's group who had a couple songs out), Madonna's "Like a Virgin", Mr. Mister, maybe even Huey Lewis's "I want a new drug" ("Watching you's the only drug I need"... maybe?), Love Connection (the game show), New Kids on the Block's "Didn't I Blow Your Mind" ("I'm always gonna want to blow your mind")
Maybe I'm reading too much into this song!!
Going along with your 80's references...how about "You're the one I have decided who's 'one of my kind'". A nod to "Need You Tonight" by INXS??<br /> <br /> And who cares if you're reading into it too much, I'd rather read that than how much a song makes you think of your ex!
Oh wow! There are so many more references than I caught. Maybe this really was what he was going for.
You're not reading too much in, I don't think. I noticed this from the first listen; the song is rife with 80's references, ie. "untrimmed chest", your references, even the desire to "blow" her mind (the term became popular for cocaine in the era during which the drug exploded in popularity). I like to envision this as the speaker's memory of one of his early, possibly first, true love-esque experiences, and perhaps the event occurred in the 80s, which explains the references. A simple, upbeat and wholly inspiring celebratory look at the beauty and joy of budding affection.
I think you're right, these are explanatory meanings..
I completely agree with you jayger, especially when you consider that the band members pretty much grew up in the 80's. And what's kind of disappointing is how many people don't recognize the references. Like whitenoise above who had no idea who Mr. Mister was, and frankly Grim's response looks like it's right out of a google search. Mr. Mister is a great band along with just about every other musician in that decade and it's a real shame that those memories are fading out of American life, but I like songs like this that have deeper meanings and at the same time remind you of other great things.
What about if it´s not about love and a woman, but all about cocaine? Try listening again, seems to fit.