"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.
Once I thought the world was crazy
Everyone was sad and chasing
Happiness and love and
I was the only one above it
Once I thought without a doubt
I had it all figured out
Universe with hands unseen
I was cold as gasoline
Took too long to think
I was wrong to believe, in me only
Once my life was a game so unfair
It beat me down and kept me there
Unaware of my naysayer
Solitaire was all I was playing
Took too long to see
I was wrong to believe, in me only
Everyone was sad and chasing
Happiness and love and
I was the only one above it
Once I thought without a doubt
I had it all figured out
Universe with hands unseen
I was cold as gasoline
Took too long to think
I was wrong to believe, in me only
Once my life was a game so unfair
It beat me down and kept me there
Unaware of my naysayer
Solitaire was all I was playing
Took too long to see
I was wrong to believe, in me only
Lyrics submitted by asianschoolgirl
Solitaire Lyrics as written by Mikael Jorgensen Nels Cline
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
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.
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.
The words of this song are sort of connected to the other song in this album: "Deeper down" That song start with "He felt the insult of a kiss" and ends with "He felt the comfort of a kiss" The ability to accept love is something we learn with time. The message also reminds of the Beatles song "Help": When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way, But now these days are gone and I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind I've opened up the doors
I feel a little differently about this song, that is I don't think it's coming to a point where you think that happiness can occur by some action taking place in the outer world we live in. But at first I felt the same way as you Ninalapinta-but see that's it! That's the song to me. That my thoughts are your thoughts too, and how foolish of me to isolate myself from others, and proclaim myself as holier than thou.
Solitaire is a losing game. The odds of winning are not very good. So when he says that's all he was playing, it's a metaphor for him being a loser basically.
savation in monogamy, i guess tweedy deserves it
Pfff...I really liked this song's melody, but then when I focused on the lyrics I was sooo disappointed. He sums up everything I disagree with...lack of self esteem, constant need for other people...he's saying that you need other people to be truly happy...I think it's the opposite. I think you can be truly happy only when you reach happiness by yourself, without anyone or anything. Of course I'm not talking about completely refusing other people, but...we should just keep in mind that we are worth also as individuals...by the way...good song...for the melody. It's a pity that I really can't relate to it, and it annoys me listening to those words...always the same point of view...when will someone dare to see things from a different perspective?
You might not think so when you've been through something traumatic and you have no one to help you threw it "Once my life was a game So unfair Beat me down and kept me there Unaware of my naysayer Solitaire was all I was Playing." Sounds to me like your in the same boat he was in before he realized it.
I understand what you mean...I believe that true happiness begins within us,we can't rely only in other people and we must value ourselves as individuals. But because humans are social beings, we will ultimately need eachother... So, even if we can achieve some sort of happiness by ourselves, we will always need to express and share that good feelings with other human beings...and that share is the ultimate happiness:)<br /> (I hope I didn't sound too cheesy:P)
No man is an island. I think that's the message here. It's easy to look at the world with contempt and think that you're running your own race, that you don't need anyone else. But that's a very lonely road to walk. One needs to have faith in others as well, whether that faith is in God or loved ones or whomever. It's not a bad thing to rely on other people for help and encouragement. That way you can also return the favour and be a source of help and encouragement to them.