"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.
You never seen nobody as divine as
She can see reflections in her own eyes
An admission of desire,
On a handsome afternoon
Is an ovation to her ego
In her everyone is everything and
everything is mine
Ms. Marceau
You don't need another,
You'll always be your own hero
Myself Ms. Marceau
You don't need another,
You'll always be your own hero
It's as if we're speaking in another language
Every word means I, Me,
Mine every hello every good (bye)
No escape to the life of the average
It's an ovation to her ego
In her everyone is everything and
everything is mine
We are very fortunate to have her here
Accounts are empty and my friends
Deserted long ago, But
She says that I'm okay... so I'm okay
She can see reflections in her own eyes
An admission of desire,
On a handsome afternoon
Is an ovation to her ego
In her everyone is everything and
everything is mine
Ms. Marceau
You don't need another,
You'll always be your own hero
Myself Ms. Marceau
You don't need another,
You'll always be your own hero
It's as if we're speaking in another language
Every word means I, Me,
Mine every hello every good (bye)
No escape to the life of the average
It's an ovation to her ego
In her everyone is everything and
everything is mine
We are very fortunate to have her here
Accounts are empty and my friends
Deserted long ago, But
She says that I'm okay... so I'm okay
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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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
To me, this song seems to be about a girl who's really vain and self obsessed, basically her own hereo. I think this guy was in a realtionship with her, but he's starting to realize how little she needs him. He's trying not to need her back but in the end he's still kinda glad that she's staying
It's about a woman who is her 'own hero', but when near the end of the song you hear 'woman disappointed', you know the reason why.
This song is about an idealized character by the narrator. Think manic pixie dream girl. She can see reflections in her own eyes. She knows when she has a chance with somebody so she pursues it. And when he admits to liking her, she’s happy about it, of course. That’s what he means by it’s an ovation to her ego, it has nothing to do with her being vain. Who doesn’t like it when someone they picked out likes them back?
“In her everyone is everything and everything is mine”. This is a person who has an unbounded fascination for everything and it’s all so important. But he is hers. And he’s thrilled. “No escape to the life of the average, it’s an ovation to my ego” he can’t believe he’s got her and life is magical.
But the trope of the manic pixie dream girl is that she exists for his character development. He doesn’t exist for hers. And what has been criticized about this trope is that it seems like the dream girl has no other personality, except being there so the man can figure himself out. But this song looks at it from another angle of she’s already fully developed character, hero in fact, she doesn’t need him any more than she needs everybody. But right now he is hers and he will follow her into the dark. Even to his own detriment. She says that he’s OK, then he’s OK.
….On second thought it could also be about drugs