"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.
(Now
You
Go)
We're swimming in the blue, my misfortune
Will light bring lighter blue?
My eyes are soaked all way through
We're sinking friendships
We drown more and more
I'm singing a sad tune
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Wishes overdue are well saved in locks
Wishes overdue
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
Is this song to you?
Is this song to you?
My lips are pale blue
My shivering half-moon
My lost night's slowest tune
Is the end of the end of the end
We're sinking friendships
We drown more and more
I'm singing a sad tune
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Wishes overdue are well saved in locks
Wishes overdue
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
Is this song to you?
Is this song to you?
(You
Go
Now)
You
Go)
We're swimming in the blue, my misfortune
Will light bring lighter blue?
My eyes are soaked all way through
We're sinking friendships
We drown more and more
I'm singing a sad tune
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Wishes overdue are well saved in locks
Wishes overdue
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
Is this song to you?
Is this song to you?
My lips are pale blue
My shivering half-moon
My lost night's slowest tune
Is the end of the end of the end
We're sinking friendships
We drown more and more
I'm singing a sad tune
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Is this song to you? (oh oh oh)
Wishes overdue are well saved in locks
Wishes overdue
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
No one knows you, till it's over
You know no one true, till it's over
Is this song to you?
Is this song to you?
(You
Go
Now)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
I'm pretty sure "It's a song to you" is actually "Is this all I do?" and occasionally "Is it all I do?"
That makes sense given what the song appears to be about - losing friends. The narrator appears to be lamenting the fact that he is alone, reflected most clearly in the lines "No one knows you, till it's over / You know no one true, till it's over." The narrator feels like he doesn't have anyone to turn to, like he truly isolated. So he's "singing a sad tune."
The heart of the song is him reflecting on all of this - "Is this all I do?" In other words, is all I do push people away? Cut people off so I end up alone? Sink my friendships? It's a powerful, introspective song about isolation and the narrator trying to figure out why he is alone in the world.
Jonsi said in an interview that this song had to do with his childhood, growing up gay and not realising that friendship and love were two different things - losing friends because he would have crushes on them.
that's exactly it. To go into more detail, in the interview he did with Attitude he explains that he would get drunk with his best friends and they'd end up having sex. However, his friends were all straight so they'd never talk about it after and that's really sad! <br /> <br /> so applying that to this song, I guess he never appreciated or really knew his friends as much until they were gone :( or vice versa actually! <br /> <br /> oh poor jonsi, at least he has alex now :)
An anthem of loneliness.
I think this song means what s7409651 said down below (because it makes sense and Jonsi said that's the meaning), but I also want to interpret it in a way that I thought it meant before I read that comment.
I think everyone can relate to this song if you think about it in a basic meaning: "You never know the value of what you have until it's gone."
Love this song. The lyrics sort of contradict the otherwise optimistic sounding music. The lyrics are rather self explanatory but I like to take the "is this song to you" as a challenge. Treat your friends well and maintain those relationships and youll be fine.
jonsi made a brilliant album.
always thought it was
"I'm shimmering in blue, my misfortune"
To me this song is meant to be about how you will feel about a person when there gone. You don't know how well-spirited a person is until their gone from your reach.