"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.
Say, my love, I came to you with best intentions
You laid down and gave to me just what I'm seeking
Say love, you drive me to distraction
Oh hey my love do you believe that we might last a thousand years
Or more if not for this
Our flesh and blood
It ties you and me right up
Tie me down
Oh well, celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
These things we cannot change
Hey, my love, you came to me like wine comes to this mouth
Grown tired of water all the time
You quench my heart and you quench my mind
Celebrate we will
Because life is short but
Sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
The things we cannot
Celebrate, you and me, climbing two by two, to be sure
These days continue, things we cannot change
Oh, my love I came to you
With best intentions
You laid down and gave to me
Just what I'm seeking
Celebrate we will
Because life is short
But sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
Things we cannot change
Things we cannot change
You laid down and gave to me just what I'm seeking
Say love, you drive me to distraction
Oh hey my love do you believe that we might last a thousand years
Or more if not for this
Our flesh and blood
It ties you and me right up
Tie me down
Oh well, celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
These things we cannot change
Hey, my love, you came to me like wine comes to this mouth
Grown tired of water all the time
You quench my heart and you quench my mind
Celebrate we will
Because life is short but
Sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
The things we cannot
Celebrate, you and me, climbing two by two, to be sure
These days continue, things we cannot change
Oh, my love I came to you
With best intentions
You laid down and gave to me
Just what I'm seeking
Celebrate we will
Because life is short
But sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue
Things we cannot change
Things we cannot change
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Two Step Lyrics as written by David John Matthews
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
Mountain Song
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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."
When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I've been listening to DMB for two weeks and I understand what he is saying more than you life long fans, between this and ants marching everyone is missing the most important part of the message. First of all it's we climb ON two by two as in a reference to Noah's ark to symbolize everyone pairing up to continue the population. To me this song is saying we cannot live forever all we can do is continue the population so we let other future generations experience this amazing adventure. It's a beautiful way to look at life and death and it single handedly made me accept death as only fair. I know songs can have multiple interpretations so don't reply with that but this is an interpretation that may benefit some people more than some army reference.
ClimbING. no biblical reference
@Juiceyeah I agree with you about this song! I interpreted it as a biblical reference back in 1996! In fact Dave in many songs refers to God in some way shape or form, and this is not just me interpreting God in every song. But Dave's crying out to a God, weather that be in faith, conflictions, convictions, or out right anger. There is truly a Gody shaped hole in everyone, that can only be filled by your connection to your creator. It's not about religion, it's about your personal experience with the power of God and how it directly relates to you and only you Your personal testimony of your life is your own and no one can argue with that! So rock on Dave and I hope you find your truth.
I first listened to this song in surround sound alone in a dark room. It took over my senses. I saw myself dancing around a bonfire in complete joy and freedom. While the true meaning may have to do with war, the underlying "Things we cannot change" theme brings with it a pragmatism that is easy to grasp in times of hardship. For me it accomplishes the whole "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" thing a whole lot better than Tripping Billies ever did.
This is my all time favorite DMB song. I love it. This is the one song in the whole world that I can listen to at any point in any day and it's just the right thing to be listening to. This song never gets tiring and there are always new things I can pull from it. This is an amazing song and it's mine all mine. Yay Dave!
actually, this song is about a love affair during the vietnam war. in a recent interview with dave, he said he was intrigued by the idea of love and war, and how lovers find ways to be together, even in the most extreme of circumstances. the lyrics back this up with "climb on 2 by 2 to be sure these days continue". to "climb on 2 by 2" was the motto of the 101st airborne division air assault troopers, who would climb into the hueys "2 by 2". if you listen closely, the rest of the song backs this up. all i have to say is, this makes me love this guy's music even more than i already do.
oh yeah, almost forgot...most likely something between a soldier and a nurse. "things we cannot change" seems to echo the draft and those who actually went to the war...this reminds me of something sort of like hemingway's "a farewell to arms", same basic scenario.
whoa...this is an amazing song...my favorite by DMB by far..
I'm surprised to see no deep interpretations on this dmb song. This song is about love and the title two step is a dance which means he is saying life and love is a dance. It's about great lovers in love in the dance of life and life Flys by and let's enjoy this special love we have to the fullest. She quenches his love, heart, mind and soul.
Look at my meaning of "Again and Again." This is no different. Dave has been taking us along on his journey with his own mind since the beginning. Sometimes he makes it obvious (Rhyme & Reason, Too High, etc) but most of the time he doesn't. People have been making whoopie to Dave's tales of he and his ego for 30 years now. Do you ever hear a lyric in one of his songs that just doesn't make sense? Now it should. It's beyond beautiful.
Not that I'm disputing the love affair during war meaning, I think it makes sense, but the 101st Airborne jumps out of planes, not helicopters.
@zer0vector Well, yes, the 101 was Airborne and jumped out of C-47s in WW II (Overloard/D-Day, Market Garden) but by Vietnam they were reorganized into the 101 Airmobile and were heliborne. In 1974 they were again reorganized into Air Assault. The Screaming Eagles are based at Ft. Campbell, KY
zer0factor- even though the 101st's roots were in airborne operations (normandy, WWII), jumping static lines out of DC-10s and gliders, they crossed over to air-assault operations during the vietnam war, using UH-1's (hueys). the 82nd Airborne retained their parachute status, still jumping out of C-130's today. the 101st gave up fixed wing for helocopter based air assault missions, rappeling out of helo's, which remains their primary mission. air assault school in at ft. campbell, the home of the 101st "screaming eagles".
@ctmaverick9 really appreciate this backstory, our homecoming is up and this song really hits home. “screaming eagles” most especially. Kudos to you and to DMB, favorite album, fave song!