"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 comes on like a stone
But you don't know where from she was thrown
Like a burning meteor from miles high
Shes looking for a place to land
She said you got yourself some sand
And whatever you'd reply she took as yes
She comes out the deep?
With her newly planted seeds and soon you're
Thrown down on your knees and then you're dead
Then before you know the weeds are all beastly overgrown
With all the wild seeds he sews in your sleeve
You've got to know you'll never let her go
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Always something and never nothing
Isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be?
Through the worn our pages
In stages when you knew not who to be
Yeah! yeah!
Until the lightning strike sets you free, yeah!
You've got to know you'll never let her go
She is lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
The crashing stormy waves are over shoreline everyday
Until the castle on her waves turns to sand
She holds her lovely breast as her birds fall from her nest
Flying towards the great northwest, yeah you were here
And with no repair in sight
There is no god with such might
As you open her world wide with such a view
And your death will soon arrive as she finally decides
That all her problems, they won't die with you
A-yeah! a-yeah! a-yeah!
Never let her go
She's a lightning bolt
Never let her go
She's true
She's rock 'n roll
She's a lightning bolt
Uncontrollable
Like you
But you don't know where from she was thrown
Like a burning meteor from miles high
Shes looking for a place to land
She said you got yourself some sand
And whatever you'd reply she took as yes
She comes out the deep?
With her newly planted seeds and soon you're
Thrown down on your knees and then you're dead
Then before you know the weeds are all beastly overgrown
With all the wild seeds he sews in your sleeve
You've got to know you'll never let her go
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Always something and never nothing
Isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be?
Through the worn our pages
In stages when you knew not who to be
Yeah! yeah!
Until the lightning strike sets you free, yeah!
You've got to know you'll never let her go
She is lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
The crashing stormy waves are over shoreline everyday
Until the castle on her waves turns to sand
She holds her lovely breast as her birds fall from her nest
Flying towards the great northwest, yeah you were here
And with no repair in sight
There is no god with such might
As you open her world wide with such a view
And your death will soon arrive as she finally decides
That all her problems, they won't die with you
A-yeah! a-yeah! a-yeah!
Never let her go
She's a lightning bolt
Never let her go
She's true
She's rock 'n roll
She's a lightning bolt
Uncontrollable
Like you
Lyrics submitted by Hrd2Imagin
Lightning Bolt Lyrics as written by Eddie Jerome Vedder
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
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 know they said Eddie had writers block for the making of Binaural but I disagree, than entire album was so unique and beautiful and a brave change in paths...this album at first felt like that but it didn’t have the buzz of binaural, this song saddens me, if you didn’t know any better you’d think this was a high school kids first attempt at a hit, it’s cloudy and murky and seems like a paradoxical metahphor minus the intention, it’s simple, and lazy, I really hope they step it up there on next album. We’ve only been waiting 6 fkn yrs boys