"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.
I paid all my dues
And she wanted to know
That I'd never leave her
Now I'm ready to go
And strange as it seems
She's endless to me
She's just like paperwork
But harder to read
Patience, my enemy
And loving's my friend
It's harder to leave with my heart on my sleeve
Than to stay and just pretend
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
I made all my plans
And she has made hers
She kept me in mind
But I wasn't sure
I searched every room
For a way to escape
But every time I try to leave
She keeps holdin' onto me for dear life
And blocking my way
Patience, my enemy
And loving's my friend
It's harder to leave with my heart on my sleeve
Than to stay and just pretend
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
And like the back of her hand
She already understands everything
Won't you stay? She says
And she already knows how it goes
And where she stands
I'll stay, anyway
'Cause she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself, I know myself
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
I know myself
I know myself
I know myself
And she wanted to know
That I'd never leave her
Now I'm ready to go
And strange as it seems
She's endless to me
She's just like paperwork
But harder to read
Patience, my enemy
And loving's my friend
It's harder to leave with my heart on my sleeve
Than to stay and just pretend
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
I made all my plans
And she has made hers
She kept me in mind
But I wasn't sure
I searched every room
For a way to escape
But every time I try to leave
She keeps holdin' onto me for dear life
And blocking my way
Patience, my enemy
And loving's my friend
It's harder to leave with my heart on my sleeve
Than to stay and just pretend
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
And like the back of her hand
She already understands everything
Won't you stay? She says
And she already knows how it goes
And where she stands
I'll stay, anyway
'Cause she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
Oh, she knows me so well
Oh, she knows me like I know myself, I know myself
Oh, she knows me like I know myself
I know myself
I know myself
I know myself
Lyrics submitted by carlalsford
She Lyrics as written by Edward Christopher Sheeran Amy Victoria Wadge
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, BDI Music Limited, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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.
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
i think these two people had a relationship but after a while they realised that it was never there - shes endless to me
maybe they liked each other at the start but i dont think the guy ever was hers - And like the back of her hand She already understands everything Won’t you stay? She says
maybe he dosnt want to hurt her so he stays and pretends for a while but it dosnt work for either of them - I made all my plans And she has made hers She kept me in mind But I wasn’t sure I searched every room For a way to escape But every time I tried to leave She keeps holding on to me For dear life And blocking my way
i think by the end of it the girl realises that its over and it was just a distraction for them both - And she already knows how it goes And where she stands
i also think the girl has been hurt a lot before in the past which is why at the start she wants him to stay because he makes her feel secure
I think the song is about a guy who has been with a girl for a long time but is feeling like he doesn't want to stay with her any more. He's "paid all his dues" by doing everything he was supposed to but he doesn't feel like he should stay any longer.
The problem is that he's really comfortable with the girl since "she knows him so well" and he doesn't exactly know how to leave so he stays anyway because it's easier for him to act like it's okay between them than to be honest about wanting to leave as he says in the line:
"It's harder to leave with my heart on my sleeve than to stay and just pretend"
The girl either recognizes that he wants to leave and prevents him from doing so or she just needs him to stay so badly that he is unable to gather the nerve to leave her. Either way, she knows that he won't leave her if she asks him to stay as is described in the lines:
"And like the back of her hand she already understands everything 'Won't you stay?' she says And she already knows how it goes and where she stands I'll stay anyway"
Basically, it's a bittersweet song about wanting to break up, but not quite being sure how to do it.