"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 wide awake
I'm wide awake
(I'm wide awake) yeah, I was in the dark
I was falling hard
With an open heart (I'm wide awake)
How did I read the stars so wrong?
(I'm wide awake) and now it's clear to me
That everything you see
Ain't always what it seems (I'm wide awake)
Yeah, I was dreaming for so long
I wish I knew then, what I know now
Wouldn't dive in, wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet
'Til I woke up on, on the concrete
Falling from cloud nine
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine
(I'm wide awake) not losing any sleep
I picked up every piece
And landed on my feet (I'm wide awake)
Need nothing to complete myself, no
(I'm wide awake) yeah, I am born again
Out of the lion's den
I don't have to pretend (and it's too late)
The story's over now, the end
I wish I knew then, what I know now
Wouldn't dive in, wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet
'Til I woke up on, on the concrete
Falling from cloud nine (it was out of the blue, I'm)
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting you go, I'm)
I'm falling from cloud nine
(I'm wide awake) thunder rumbling
Castles crumbling (I'm wide awake)
I am trying to hold on
(I'm wide awake) God knows that I tried
Seeing the bright side (I'm wide awake)
But I'm not blind anymore
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine (it was out of the blue, I'm)
Crashing from the high
You know I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting you go, I'm)
I'm falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
(I'm wide awake) yeah, I was in the dark
I was falling hard
With an open heart (I'm wide awake)
How did I read the stars so wrong?
(I'm wide awake) and now it's clear to me
That everything you see
Ain't always what it seems (I'm wide awake)
Yeah, I was dreaming for so long
I wish I knew then, what I know now
Wouldn't dive in, wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet
'Til I woke up on, on the concrete
Falling from cloud nine
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine
(I'm wide awake) not losing any sleep
I picked up every piece
And landed on my feet (I'm wide awake)
Need nothing to complete myself, no
(I'm wide awake) yeah, I am born again
Out of the lion's den
I don't have to pretend (and it's too late)
The story's over now, the end
I wish I knew then, what I know now
Wouldn't dive in, wouldn't bow down
Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet
'Til I woke up on, on the concrete
Falling from cloud nine (it was out of the blue, I'm)
Crashing from the high
I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting you go, I'm)
I'm falling from cloud nine
(I'm wide awake) thunder rumbling
Castles crumbling (I'm wide awake)
I am trying to hold on
(I'm wide awake) God knows that I tried
Seeing the bright side (I'm wide awake)
But I'm not blind anymore
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine (it was out of the blue, I'm)
Crashing from the high
You know I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting you go, I'm)
I'm falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Lyrics submitted by redvelvet
Wide Awake Lyrics as written by Henry Walter Bonnie Mckee
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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wow that is some explanation. and it is true IWasFalling13, you definitely like to write. I saw a great comment on youtube and can't find in now amid the thousands of comments posted so I will paraphrase. For the video interpretation, when she was in love everything seemed like a ferry tail, and when she woke up to reality it became a nightmare. She had to use her inner strength to move on from the bad stuff to get to a better part of her life. I take no credit for this interpretation but i would like to support it and share it. I think the song has a lot to do with this interpretation.