"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.
There's a girl on a ledge she's got nowhere to turn,
Cause all the love that she had was just wood that she burned,
Now her life is on fire, it's no one's concern,
She can blame the world or prey till dawn
But only love can break her fall,
Break her fall,
Yeah, only love can break her fall, fall.
It's like she lost her invitation to the party on earth,
And she's standing outside hating everyone here,
Yeah, she's her own disease, crying to her doll,
But only love can break her fall,
Break her fall,
Only love can break her fall. Yeah.
Yeah fall, the world is her fall, break her fall,
Love, love, love can break her fall,
Now only love can break her fall,
Love, love, love can break her fall, fall,
Love, love can break her fall,
Only love can break her.
Cause all the love that she had was just wood that she burned,
Now her life is on fire, it's no one's concern,
She can blame the world or prey till dawn
But only love can break her fall,
Break her fall,
Yeah, only love can break her fall, fall.
It's like she lost her invitation to the party on earth,
And she's standing outside hating everyone here,
Yeah, she's her own disease, crying to her doll,
But only love can break her fall,
Break her fall,
Only love can break her fall. Yeah.
Yeah fall, the world is her fall, break her fall,
Love, love, love can break her fall,
Now only love can break her fall,
Love, love, love can break her fall, fall,
Love, love can break her fall,
Only love can break her.
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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.
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
it's been said that this song was written about courtney love.
i don't know if that's true.
but it's an interesting thought, i think.
cool song, anyway.
Funny, I was just coming on here to say the same thing - only 7 years later. ;)
this is one of my fav. songs....its something i can really relate to right now...it means that theres a girl who's had her heart broken too many times and its no fault but her own and shes about to give up...but the only thing that can save her is being in love..PJ is the best
Popularity is not a prerequisite for greatness. As is the story of Pearl Jam.
I love PJ because of how well they can friggin describe other peoples' dillemas... they have damn good empathy... That was COMPLETELY me at one time, but I'm lucky now because love really did break my fall. Thank you Matt, because of you I learned there is more to love than just a fluttery heartbeat.... the truest love is built off of a great friendship. ^^
A great song that isn't recognised much. Pity it could have been really popular.
She is bitter and everything once beautiful and everything she once cared about now just makes her angry.
She was scorned in love and only a new and persistant deep love can "Break her fall"
this song is about a girl who is on ... the end of the line, inches from the edge of some precipice (in life, not real). and the only possible way she can be bailed out of this precarious situation is is someone welcomes her into his life with genuine love for her.
"its like she's lost her nvitation to the party on earth.." just sums her situation up... she is now a "nobody's child" with only her doll to cry to, no human shoulder.
voted the best pearl jam punk rock song in an opinion poll by Vault, the official Ten fanclub.
this song is about a girl who is on ... the end of the line, inches from the edge of some precipice (in life, not real). and the only possible way she can be bailed out of this precarious situation is if someone welcomes her into his life with genuine love (for her).
"its like she's lost her invitation to the party on earth.." just sums her situation up... she is now a "nobody's child" with only her doll to cry to, no human shoulder.
voted the best pearl jam punk rock song in an opinion poll by Vault, the official Ten fanclub.
its weird cuz i feel like my life was over a long time ago when my love of my granda died and some how im still living i pry eveynight to god about wanting to die and almost everytime i think to myself how selfish i am when i pry like that when i know i should be lining as god has kept m e alive but everything diddapears when i talk to people like you people on this site cuz you understand what i mean by it through pearl jam. i sometimes listen to pj and think to myself fuck thats kind of like the situation im in now just because i can reach them in that way their such an amazing band to be able to reach me like that
same with me and "slieght of hand" that song is like the fuckin story of my life right now- there are so many of their songs that i can relate to but no one i know likes or gives pj any respect, thats also why i go to this site so i can talk to people that love this band as much as i do