"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'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love for to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me? Will you be my love?
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We walk in fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love for to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me? Will you be my love?
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We walk in fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
Lyrics submitted by anieloo, edited by anne113661
Fields Of Gold Lyrics as written by Gordon Sumner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
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.
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.
It's about two young lovers, soulmates, it's also a very spiritual song. The man dies young, and many years later, as the woman nears her death, she goes back to the place where she was most happy in her life and remembers him. The title itself "Fields of Gold" means that their love was worth far more than gold, and walking in "fields of gold" means that they have something very special and glorious between them, their love is so deep that it transcends everything, including time, space, lives, etc. The first stanza is going back in memory and remembering that time when she was happy with him. It describes falling in love and how exciting that feeling was. There, they swear that their love will be forever. A line I love is "we'll forget the sun in his jealous sky..." I've always taken this to mean that their time in that life is limited, that he will die a young man, and she will have to live many years without him. Forgetting the sun in the jealous sky talks about that cycle of day and night that is comparable to life and death. They are forgetting for a while that their moments together are limited and that the life they have together will end rather soon. For that while, they are just enjoying their time together, living in the moment and not thinking about anything else. "Many years have passed..." she returns to that physical place where she was happy with him, but also she returns to the place in her mind. It has been a long time, so things have changed. She watches children (not her own, just children playing) near this place, and the sun is setting. Here again is the life/death cycle. As for the west wind, it's like a trigger for her memory, that feeling ignites her memories again, and they are bittersweet, she remembers the happiness she felt for him, but there is also the pain of losing him. I've always thought of the last stanza as a switch of perspective. Whereas till that point, he was basically speaking to her telling her she will remember him, now she is speaking to him. "You can tell the sun in his jealous sky when we walked in fields of gold", meaning that because he's already passed away, he now sees the bigger picture and can tell that time cannot touch their love, for it transcends everything.
Couldn't agree with your interpretation of these lyrics more MurasakiGrey - spot on!
I can't thank you enough Murasaki for explaining the lyric's it has given me great comfort at a time of bereavement.
@MurasakiGrey thank you! Your interpretation aligns most strongly with my feelings for this track, particularly around the life/death cycle. The only thing I'd add is the life/death cycle is about the relationship and not necessarily speaking to mortality.
@MurasakiGrey When he was young, he promised her if she loved him, she wouldn’t regret moving on from the jealous sun, the summer of her life, idle amusement, and that she’d be reminded of that every time the west wind blows. She took her love and gave it to him on that promise. The west wind blew them onward through life. Now he’s dead and gone, but his promise held true. She remembers him every time the west wind blows, and she sees the life they built together (e.g., the children). The things we cultivate here on earth together, the fields of barley, are a gold greater than the sun we can never truly touch or reap.
This song to me means he is in love deeply with a girl, and as they make love in the golden fields the sun-a powerful literary device, is actually jealous of their perfect love. It's a nice song and I'm glad it's not a real downer.
No one has mentioned the Tantric aspect to this song...
I agree that it's generally a straightforward love song, but Sting has a "spiritual" (and specifically Tantric) disposition, which I think plays into this song, particularly with the puzzling line: "You'll forget the sun it it's jealous sky."
In some spiritual traditions, like Tantra, there's the concept of an ascendant and a descendant path. Ascendant is transcendent, heavenly, almost otherworldly; while descendant is worldly, manifest. (Both paths can be seen as legitimate, you can either try to transcend the world to find "God" or embrace everything of the world to find God.)
Now, he says "Forget the sun" because he's asking her to embrace this human love, here on this earth, symbolized by the worldly "fields of barley." And he's saying that they will have such profound Love that the fields of barley will actually become "Fields of Gold." (Which is also why the Sun is jealous, because the Sun will always be transcendent and thus will never be able to experience the sacredness of manifestation.)
Note: Sting always mentions he's into Tantra.
@KentKent The sun isn't jealous, the sky is...which is kind of strange...who is the sky jealous of? Them? or the sun? There are problems with these lyrics.<br />
Sting wrote this song whilst he was looking out into his garden and watching his children (the ones he has with Trudie Styler, I presume) playing. I think its about a man looking back on his life, at the mistakes, and the happiness, and feeling satisfied.
I adore this song. Eva Cassidy sang it very nicely, but at the end of the day, Sting wrote it, it will always be his. The way he sings it ... wow. It is the most amazing song he has ever written, even people who dont like other things he has done enjoy fields of gold. Its truely amazing.
Also a nice interpretation.<br />
this is one of the most beautiful songs i ever heard
I love this song. As time passes these common events in our lives, like ordinary Barley, sometimes become the ones we remember and cherish and find strength in. They become Gold- the color of the ripe barley harvest. There was sorrow but the enduring relationship overcame it. Children offer hope. They could be the couples. There was common stuff like betrayal but somehow they endured and time healed.
"Fields of Barley" means earth, and "Fields of gold" means heaven (Heaven on earth) Just watched the movie The Knowing with Nicolas Cage at the end of the movie there is the scene with the tree of life and two innocent children running through the fields of (gold)_ (barley) Stings words i feel were influenced from the teachings of the Kaballah. Linn
The most beautiful song ever written!!
The melody and lyrics are a poem and I could listen to his voice forever! As soon as the song begins, I can immediately picture the beautiful fields of gold and the important scenes in life that take place within those fields...
For me, Fields Of Gold is one of the best songs ever written. The music as well as the lyrics are very deep and full of emotion. I guess the song is about a relationship that broke up long ago (I think so because of the repeated phase “You’ll remember me...”) although it seemed to be so perfect, that even the sun was jealous of it. The change of perspectives is quite striking: the first, third, fifth and sixth verses as well as the bridge (“I never made promises lightly...”) are written in the perspective of the lyrical I (Sting himself — the person who had the relationship) in a kind of retrospective, it seems he wants his former girlfriend to remember the past relationship, too, because he lists some of the beautiful moments the couple had (going for a walk together — 1st verse; Sting’s confession, that he loves her — 2nd verse; lie together in fields of gold). Maybe he has still got some hope, that one day this relationship will get a second chance (?). As a contrast, the second and fourth verses are written from the view of a third person who seems to watch another couple’s meeting in the same place (“Fields of Barley”- verse 4). In verse 4 Sting even seems to describe the feelings of the other man (“Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth”). Perhaps Sting wants to express, that there are much more broken hearted people with the same destiny he had — first a perfect relationship, but later a disappointing experience (?) And, finally, I think the sunset in the 5th verse is a symbol of universal transience and the running children can be seen as a symbol of hope.
This song makes me also remember a quite similar experience of my own life. Once I performed Fields Of Gold on guitar at school together with a keyboarder I loved very much. Singing and making music with him was indescribably intense, but he didn’t love me, so all that’s left for me are these memories and the music.
@groovybassist He DID love you, he told me so! Call him, it's not too late!<br />
The story is chronological. It is about courtship, marriage, and eventual death. The two people in the song meet, court, fall in love (at this point, he reveals that he has never really made such a strong promise/commitment to someone) but feels he is ready to now. "See the children run," their offspring and the "jealous sky" refer to the Heavens. Even Heaven is jealous of their love/relationship. The esteemed sun is jealous. Eventually, he dies and tells his love that they will always remember their love specifically, when she thinks of him, he wants to be personified as such... walking in fields of gold (barley).