"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.
She said I'm sick of all the sucking up
She said I'm terrified of coming down
She wants to meet me back uptown
Diane Lane kept me sane through the spring
I was flirting with the films
I was trying to say something that seemed kinda interesting
Still trying to figure out if she felt anything
We walked into the church and people got down on the floor
Rolled around obeying the cheers, all filled up with the spirit of the Lord
I've never felt like that before
I only bow down to the jet set
Fame was so quick, we hadn't met yet
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
She said he looked like Jimmy Connors
She said he tasted like the Calvin Klein
She said we had a pretty huge time
He came onto the court and he knelt before the sword
There was feedback in the speakers and the sound man fried the board
I'm pretty sure I went there once before
It came to me on television
Richard Gere in Days of Heaven
Walking through Sam Shepard's mansion
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
She said I know you got a lot of love to give
But now you know you can't know where I live
I know you try to keep it pretty positive
And if it makes you feel a little bit better
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
All the people on my TV
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
All the actors and the athletes
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
To be young, wild, and pretty
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
In the sweet part of the city
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna get something in heaven
She said I'm terrified of coming down
She wants to meet me back uptown
Diane Lane kept me sane through the spring
I was flirting with the films
I was trying to say something that seemed kinda interesting
Still trying to figure out if she felt anything
We walked into the church and people got down on the floor
Rolled around obeying the cheers, all filled up with the spirit of the Lord
I've never felt like that before
I only bow down to the jet set
Fame was so quick, we hadn't met yet
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
She said he looked like Jimmy Connors
She said he tasted like the Calvin Klein
She said we had a pretty huge time
He came onto the court and he knelt before the sword
There was feedback in the speakers and the sound man fried the board
I'm pretty sure I went there once before
It came to me on television
Richard Gere in Days of Heaven
Walking through Sam Shepard's mansion
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
She said I know you got a lot of love to give
But now you know you can't know where I live
I know you try to keep it pretty positive
And if it makes you feel a little bit better
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
All the people on my TV
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
All the actors and the athletes
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
To be young, wild, and pretty
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
In the sweet part of the city
We're gonna all be friends in heaven
We're gonna get something in heaven
Lyrics submitted by hotdingdong
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Holiday
Bee Gees
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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.
Punchline
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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.
Amazing
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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.
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.