"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.
No sign of life did flicker
In floods of tears she cried
"All hope's lost it can't be undone
They're wasted and gone"
"Save me your speeches
I know (They blinded us all)
What you want
You will take it away from me
Take it and I know for sure
The light she once brought in
Is gone forevermore"
Like sorrowful seaguls they sang
"(We're) lost in the deep shades
The misty cloud brought
(A wailing when beauty was gone
Come take a look at the sky)
Monstrous it covered the shore
Fearful into the unknown"
Quietly it crept in new horror
Insanity reigned
And spilled the first blood
When the old king was slain
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
"How long shall we
Mourn in the dark
the bliss and the beauty
Will not return
Say farewell to sadness and grief
Though long and hard the road may be"
But even in silence I heard the words
"An oath we shall swear
By the name of the one
Until the world's end
It can't be broken"
Just wondering how
I can still hear these voices inside
The doom of the Noldor drew near
The words of a banished king
"I swear revenge"
Filled with anger aflamed our hearts
Full of hate full of pride
We screamed for revenge
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
"Vala he is that's what you said
Then your oath's been sworn in vain
(But) freely you came and
You freely shall depart
(So) never trust the northern winds
Never turn your back on friends"
"Oh I'm heir of the high lord!"
"You better don't trust him"
The enemy of mine
Isn't he of your kind and
Finally you may follow me
Farewell
He said
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
Back to where it all began
In floods of tears she cried
"All hope's lost it can't be undone
They're wasted and gone"
"Save me your speeches
I know (They blinded us all)
What you want
You will take it away from me
Take it and I know for sure
The light she once brought in
Is gone forevermore"
Like sorrowful seaguls they sang
"(We're) lost in the deep shades
The misty cloud brought
(A wailing when beauty was gone
Come take a look at the sky)
Monstrous it covered the shore
Fearful into the unknown"
Quietly it crept in new horror
Insanity reigned
And spilled the first blood
When the old king was slain
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
"How long shall we
Mourn in the dark
the bliss and the beauty
Will not return
Say farewell to sadness and grief
Though long and hard the road may be"
But even in silence I heard the words
"An oath we shall swear
By the name of the one
Until the world's end
It can't be broken"
Just wondering how
I can still hear these voices inside
The doom of the Noldor drew near
The words of a banished king
"I swear revenge"
Filled with anger aflamed our hearts
Full of hate full of pride
We screamed for revenge
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
"Vala he is that's what you said
Then your oath's been sworn in vain
(But) freely you came and
You freely shall depart
(So) never trust the northern winds
Never turn your back on friends"
"Oh I'm heir of the high lord!"
"You better don't trust him"
The enemy of mine
Isn't he of your kind and
Finally you may follow me
Farewell
He said
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
Back to where it all began
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
to be more spesific: its just when morgoth and Ungoliant destroyed the 2 trees that gave th light up to then and darkness reigned. u very VERY sad song...
"all hope is gone it cant be undone their wasted and gone"
..tear in my eye.