"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.
Try and breathe some life into a letter
Losing hope, never be together
My courage is at it's peak
You know what I mean
How do say you're okay to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to
An answering machine?
Big town's got its losers
Small town's got its vices
A handful of friends
One needs a match, one needs some ice
Call-waiting phone in another time zone
How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do say good night to
An answering machine?
Try and free a slave of ignorance
Try and teach a whore about romance
How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to
An answering machine?
How do you say I'm lonely to
An answering machine?
The message is very plain
Oh, I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
Losing hope, never be together
My courage is at it's peak
You know what I mean
How do say you're okay to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to
An answering machine?
Big town's got its losers
Small town's got its vices
A handful of friends
One needs a match, one needs some ice
Call-waiting phone in another time zone
How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do say good night to
An answering machine?
Try and free a slave of ignorance
Try and teach a whore about romance
How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to
An answering machine?
How do you say I'm lonely to
An answering machine?
The message is very plain
Oh, I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine
Lyrics submitted by typo, edited by heather152
Answering Machine Lyrics as written by Paul Westerberg
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
A handful of friends One needs a match, one needs some ice
^^ those lines are basically saying that his only friends are his cigarettes and his alcohol (one needs a match, one needs ice)
yet another example of westerberg's genius.
I had this song on repeat for a very long time. My ex, a musician, was always on tour, and this song just hit home for me. It's an amazing song... very much ahead of its time. Westerberg is a damn genius.
This is a simple concept about not accepting the lack of personal intimacy. I love all the comparisons to things that are as equally as futile as expressing emotion through a machine: "Try to breathe some life into a letter", "Try to free a slave of ignorance", "Try and teach a whore about romance".
I heard this song a thousand times but never picked up on the 212, 313 lyrics at the end (PS, 313 is Michigan).
I don't think the song is specifically about an answering machine and trying to make contact with someone. I think it's more about just loneliness in general. "a handful of friends, one needs a match and one needs some ice" - Those are the only friends around for him, and anyone who has ever been lonely, whether it's been their entire life or just for one night should be able to understand the feeling.
the last numbers are area codes.
212 = new york etc.
I just don't completely understand the line "One needs a match, one needs some ice"...I'm assuming that one needs a match for a cigarette and one needs some ice for (presumably) an alcoholic drink...
Perhaps he's missing something in his life (maybe the girl he's trying to get a hold of?) like he's missing the match for his smoke and the ice for his drink...he's just not complete or something along those lines
I also thought about match as in a match in a relationship (i.e. "they're a perfect match") but then the ice thing doesn't work with it or make sense
Ice melts, matches burn out. When you talk to someone as they hear you, there hearing exactly what you mean wile you mean it. When they hear a message they hear the dead past
Ahh, I understand that line now. "Handful of friends, one needs a match, one needs some ice"...he's got his hands full with a cigarette in one and a drink in the other...
@Robot Rock, which is exactly how I found Westerberg in a NY lounge bar the one time I met him in person back in 1990. Approachable guy, did not mind at all being chatted up, maybe because the "friends" he was with didn't provide much in the way of conversation. ;)
my favorite Mats song... well favorite of the moment. The clever lyrics really drive home the point of loneliness. I believe the opening of "Color Me Obsessed" addresses this song and the woman whom Paul was trying to hook up with. She was a photographer that had done some work for a paper or the Mats... one of the fansites addresses this in more detail, perhaps it is colormeimpressed.com