"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.
Please, I don't know what you're saying
It all sounds like mud to me
There's a man here
I've seen his face
He's sure I'll recognize him and he's breathing all his hate on me
He binds my wrists and he throws me down
And I can't see
Wake me
I hope I'm dreaming
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Wake me.
There must be some mistake
No, I don't hear what I'm hearing
Fear you are my new best friend
Cause these wicked boys brought their pieces and their itchy fingers
And the panic crawls into my throat cause I turn my head and they're looking at me.
And I can't breathe
Save me I think I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
And I can't scream
I can't scream
I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
Save me
Look, I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
It all sounds like mud to me
There's a man here
I've seen his face
He's sure I'll recognize him and he's breathing all his hate on me
He binds my wrists and he throws me down
And I can't see
Wake me
I hope I'm dreaming
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Wake me.
There must be some mistake
No, I don't hear what I'm hearing
Fear you are my new best friend
Cause these wicked boys brought their pieces and their itchy fingers
And the panic crawls into my throat cause I turn my head and they're looking at me.
And I can't breathe
Save me I think I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
And I can't scream
I can't scream
I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
Save me
Look, I'm bleeding
I am beautiful
I'm beautiful
Save me
There must be some mistake
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
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.
This is such a disturbing and beautiful song. The way the lyrics portray the ultimate depiction of someone being held up, and the denial that person feels. no, this can't be happening to me, "there must be some mistake" You really feel what they're feeling. Tapping the Vein is a brilliant band! I love them!
i used to listen to this song all the time back in 2001-2002, i recently got back from a deployment to iraq, my vehicle had hit a anti-tank mine and i escaped without a scratch, then 2 days later my vehicle was hit by 2 roadside bombs i escaped the first one just fine but 2 marines were injured 5 minutes afterwards i was about 10 meters from another roadside bomb that went off and me and 3 other marines where wounded, and when i heard this song when i got back i was litteraly paralyzed how it described everything so clear about what it is like to be in a situation like that, the denial like this cant be happening, the most powerful part is "save me i think im bleeding" the thought flashed threw my mind, this is indeed a very powerful song
"'Cause these wicked boys brought their pieces and their itchy fingers"
To me, it's unquestionably about rape.
I also don't think she believes she's beautiful. I read it as:
"I'm beautiful? I'm beautiful? Wake me - there must be some mistake."
It's about a guy that was murdered during a hold-up. I believe the band knew this guy. Makes the song all the more terrifying yet poignant, eh?
Yeah, Denial, definately! I kinda thought this was about some sort of sexual attack, and the girl thinking this can't be happening to her, she's too beautiful.
Denial. Disturbing. Classic as usual...
i love this song. i agree with the comment on denial. heh. seeing that everythings not so beautiful afterall....
hm. i didnt know that. it sure does.
I take it as a girl was abused by her lover and realized she deserves better, she knows she's "beautiful."
really i think that this song about a woman like all being raped and it's just like what i'm beautiful no way. or like she's in a relationship that turns abusive. this song is more of a personal interpretation