"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.
Oh, I've just come from the land of the sun
From a war that must be won in the name of truth
With our soldiers so brave your freedom we will save
With our rifles and grenades and some help from God
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
You just can't believe the joy I did receive
When I finally got my leave and I was going home
Oh, I flew through the sky, my convictions could not lie
For my country I would die, and I will see it soon
And I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
When I walked through the door my wife she lay upon the floor
And with tears her eyes did soar, I did not know why
Then I looked into her hand and I saw the telegram
Said that I was a brave, brave man, but that I was dead
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
From a war that must be won in the name of truth
With our soldiers so brave your freedom we will save
With our rifles and grenades and some help from God
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
You just can't believe the joy I did receive
When I finally got my leave and I was going home
Oh, I flew through the sky, my convictions could not lie
For my country I would die, and I will see it soon
And I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
When I walked through the door my wife she lay upon the floor
And with tears her eyes did soar, I did not know why
Then I looked into her hand and I saw the telegram
Said that I was a brave, brave man, but that I was dead
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Love Vigilantes Lyrics as written by Peter Hook Stephen Paul David Morris
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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“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.
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It makes most sense to me if the song is telling of a dream he had.
He is away fighting, is so tired and homesick, and has this dream where he is getting his wish to return home but then it turns into a nightmare which materializes his fear of dying before he gets to go back. The song ends the same way it started like maybe this is a recurring dream and/or fear.
he just came from the "Land of the Sun" - that's Argentina, this song is about a soldier who died fighting in the Malvina's (Falkland Islands) war between Argentina and Britain in 1982. the song was my favorite song back then, being the child of a warrior myself, and now that i travel to Argentina regularly it really has meaning.
Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner! This is by far the most logical war they were singing about. I was confused into thinking "Land of the Sun" meant Japan (Land of the Rising Sun), which would have meant the justifiable WWII (if any war can indeed be justifiable). Another point of confusion was Britain was largely not a part of the Pacific theater. <br /> <br /> But now you've helped me realize the hint of sarcasm in the lyrics is there because the Falkland War was fought by the British Empire and was highly unjustifiable. Plus consider that New Order was British and that that CD was released in 1985, the Falkland wars being fought 3 years earlier and fresh on the minds of the British people.
Argentina is called the Land of the Sun, because of the sun on it's flag. So this answer is definitely correct. Also, based on the end of the song I believe the soldier did in fact die, and came home as a spirit to see his family one last time.
I find it interesting that this cover seems to change the words a little, and the meaning changes, too. In the original, the wife's eyes were sore. In this, he sings that the wife's eyes "did soar." (The song clearly sounds like 'did soar' as well.) In the original, the soldier had died, and his wife had cried her eyes out. This seems to imply that he physically walked into the house and her eyes soared when she saw him because the telegram had been a mistake. Anyone have thoughts about it? I think Iron & Wine's cover leaves it more open-ended than the original. I'm not convinced, but it's a theory about the shift in lyrics.
outside of this being an awesome song...I think it almost has a sarcastic take on soldiers at war. Their only ticket home is to die? idk..just a thought
also, if her eyes were to "soar" they'd be looking to the heavens, right? and if they were sore she'd obviously be crying. So, they could basically be the same thing. That's the beauty of music I guess, it can be interpreted however the listener hears it.
When I first heard this song, I just thought it was the sweetest little story. I thought he came home and his wife had received the letter in error. Then I listened to it again and the realization that he could just as well be dead began creeping up on me, and that was depressing. It's a beautiful song, though, and I like to think that it's open-ended on that.
I love this song. I think the meaning is pretty obvious. at the end he realizes that he is dead, kind of like the sixth sense. this song is so sad.
i agree with you. this is a most beautiful song
yeah I thpught it could have been that he died and didn't knnow it......but now that I notice it could be said that the letter was mistaken.... the meaning can be arued both ways....the song poses no contradictions....make up your own mind
This song is amazingly sweet, somehow, even though speaking of death and war. I just heard this song on the new album and it is another song with amazing poetic meaning. I'm not so sure that the soldier is dead however. I'm sure many disagree, as I can see with the comments above, but that is the beauty of Iron and Wine songs, there are hidden meanings and everyone can derive their own meanings. Another beautiful song from Sam.
Just to let you know, it's not written by Sam, but a fantastic cover. U may know that, but it didn't seem that way from your comment. Awesome cover.
when i first heard the song, i didn't think too much of it. but after listening to it a few times i thought it almost sounded like an anti-war song. the way the narrator talks about the war almost sounds like sarcasm or as if he doesn't really believe what he is saying. the only part that sounds sincere is that he wants to get the hell out of there. and in the end, it appears that the narrator is dead which only makes one feel even less supportive of the war.
just my thoughts.
This was a brilliant edition to an awesome episode of House last night.