"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, 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 (We're falling now)
Crashing from the high (From 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 oh
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 stories over now, the end, yeah
I wish I knew then what I know now
I 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 ready to go, I'm)
Falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake!
Thunder rumbling!
I'm wide awake!
Castle's crumbling!
I'm wide awake!
I am trying to hold on!
I'm wide awake!
God know's that I've tried!
I'm wide awake!
Seeing the bright side!
I'm wide awake!
But I'm not blind anymore!
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 ready to go!)
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake
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 (We're falling now)
Crashing from the high (From 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 oh
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 stories over now, the end, yeah
I wish I knew then what I know now
I 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 ready to go, I'm)
Falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake!
Thunder rumbling!
I'm wide awake!
Castle's crumbling!
I'm wide awake!
I am trying to hold on!
I'm wide awake!
God know's that I've tried!
I'm wide awake!
Seeing the bright side!
I'm wide awake!
But I'm not blind anymore!
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 ready to go!)
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine
I'm wide awake
Lyrics submitted by Abbie96
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.