"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.
Breathe and I'll carry you away into the velvet sky
And we'll stir the stars around and watch them fall away
Into the Hudson Bay and plummet out of sight and sound
The open summer breeze will sweep you through the hills
Where I live in the Alpine heights
Below the northern lights I spend my coldest nights alone awake
And thinking of the weekend we were in love
(The weekend we were in love)
Home among these mountain tops can be so awfully dull
A thousand miles from the tide
Put photos on the walls of New York shopping malls
Distract me so I stay inside
I wish the rocket stayed over the promenade 'cause I would make a hook
And I can fish them from the sky
My darling she and I, we're hanging on so take us high
To sing the world goodbye
I am floating away lost in a silent ballet
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
Still photos and noisy arcades
My darling we're both on the wing
Look down and keep on singing and we can go anywhere
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Or are you just a decoy dream in my head
Am I home or am I simply tumbling all alone
I am floating away
(Floating away)
Lost in a silent ballet
(Silent ballet)
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
(Early parades)
Still photos and noisy arcades
(Noisy arcades)
My darling we're both on the wing look down and keep on singing
And we can go anywhere
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
And we'll stir the stars around and watch them fall away
Into the Hudson Bay and plummet out of sight and sound
The open summer breeze will sweep you through the hills
Where I live in the Alpine heights
Below the northern lights I spend my coldest nights alone awake
And thinking of the weekend we were in love
(The weekend we were in love)
Home among these mountain tops can be so awfully dull
A thousand miles from the tide
Put photos on the walls of New York shopping malls
Distract me so I stay inside
I wish the rocket stayed over the promenade 'cause I would make a hook
And I can fish them from the sky
My darling she and I, we're hanging on so take us high
To sing the world goodbye
I am floating away lost in a silent ballet
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
Still photos and noisy arcades
My darling we're both on the wing
Look down and keep on singing and we can go anywhere
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Or are you just a decoy dream in my head
Am I home or am I simply tumbling all alone
I am floating away
(Floating away)
Lost in a silent ballet
(Silent ballet)
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
(Early parades)
Still photos and noisy arcades
(Noisy arcades)
My darling we're both on the wing look down and keep on singing
And we can go anywhere
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Are you there
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
(Are you there)
Lyrics submitted by AbsolutionAgent_gMs
On the Wing Lyrics as written by Adam R. Young
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is amazing. Here's what I think it means: He's thinking about a girl he loves, who he's not with at the moment, and he's thinking of her. He wants to be with her some more, but he can't because he's stuck at home.
Not being a depressive or anything, but sometimes the beauty of Mr. Young's musical genius makes me cry.
Well said.
he misses his love (though they were in love for a short time). bah! ~where he lives gets so lonely and dull. so, he sings his world goodbye and dreams of her. he wonders if she feels the same way too (is he tumbling alone; is she just a decoy dream?).
Arae137 I agree with you totally, like he can't help but think about her its almost like he now realizes how much he really does care about her now that they're apart from each other, and he is hoping praying even that she feels the same, and because there is no way for him to know for sure he just looks at photos and memories he has "of the weekend we were in love." "<br /> <br /> My darling, we�re both on the wing, look down and keep on singing! And we can go anywhere" <br /> <br /> he is asking her to keep the feelings that she has for him <br /> <br /> this song is absolutely beautiful , it speaks to me <br /> <br /> because I feel the same way he does.
I agree too! <br /> I think it's mostly because I'm kind of in this situation myself at the moment. I listened to this song this morning and that's exactly the way it hit me; like am I the only one who feels this way toward the person or is it mutual.
wow i fell in love with this song after just the first line :P the lyrics are just so powerful and the flow of the song all fit together perfectly! such a beautiful song about a boy missing a girl he loves. . .i just love it too much :)
This song is so gorgeous. I love the new album. This music is perfect for a good day with someone special.
i think this song has something to do with being in love with a girl and things didn't work out and he dreams that they were still in love together, because dreams are better than his reality right now.
The Ocean Eyes version is quite a step up in terms of production. A much fuller sound and brighter orchestra.
there is something about this song that is absolutely perfect; then again, it's the same way with every song by owl city. (:
this song is different from the others. the tune is what i call 'bananas'. ; D
I love owl city because they are are so lyrical. Here is my thoughts on this song:
I rhink this song was written about a fling he had when he was younger(late nights early parades, still photos, noisey arcades) it just seemed like the type of dates teens would go on. My favortie line watching a silent ballet, to me silent anything is a sign of emotion considering no words can be used so everthing must be very dramatic and emotional to convey the feeling