"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 got it in the mail one morning
There was no return address
Just my name in gold leaf on the front
There was no time or location
There was really no info at all
No date no place no time no RSVP
But it said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time
I didn’t think much about it
It seemed like a really dumb joke
But later that week it was Friday—once again
So I took it down to a disco
That wouldn’t have me in am million years
I flashed it once and I was inside with a drink
I really didn’t stay too long there
‘Cause no one was having much fun
I made my way to a party all the way across town
It was thrown by the friend of an ex-thing
I wasn’t sure if I should go
But when I got in the place there were smiles all up and down
I grabbed my ex in the kitchen
I told her I was sorry I came
But she looked at me with a glazed smile and said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time
You are so needed by everyone to do everything
You are invited for all time
I headed home kinda early
The party wasn’t all that great
I saw my neighbor out crying on his front porch
I stopped to see what his deal was
I didn't catch much through the sobs
Something about a party and he didn’t go
I thought about it for a second
With the invite in my hands.
I threw it down at his feet and I said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time.
You are so needed if you really want to go
You are invited for all time
For all time
For all time
For all time
There was no return address
Just my name in gold leaf on the front
There was no time or location
There was really no info at all
No date no place no time no RSVP
But it said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time
I didn’t think much about it
It seemed like a really dumb joke
But later that week it was Friday—once again
So I took it down to a disco
That wouldn’t have me in am million years
I flashed it once and I was inside with a drink
I really didn’t stay too long there
‘Cause no one was having much fun
I made my way to a party all the way across town
It was thrown by the friend of an ex-thing
I wasn’t sure if I should go
But when I got in the place there were smiles all up and down
I grabbed my ex in the kitchen
I told her I was sorry I came
But she looked at me with a glazed smile and said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time
You are so needed by everyone to do everything
You are invited for all time
I headed home kinda early
The party wasn’t all that great
I saw my neighbor out crying on his front porch
I stopped to see what his deal was
I didn't catch much through the sobs
Something about a party and he didn’t go
I thought about it for a second
With the invite in my hands.
I threw it down at his feet and I said:
You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time.
You are so needed if you really want to go
You are invited for all time
For all time
For all time
For all time
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
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”
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I'll agree with staygold. An internet friend recommended The Dismemberment Plan to me a while back... I was kind of expecting some sort of death metal, but was pleasantly surprised with intelligent rock.
This is without question my favorite song off Emergency & I. It puts me in a good mood every time I hear it, especially when he describes meeting his ex-girlfriend at the party. The beat changes, and when she smiles and tells him he is invited the song just breaks open.
Not much mystery in this song. He gets a symbolic invitation that gives him confidence and a feeling of empowerment.
Just heard it recently, but no doubt one of my favorite songs.