"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.
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happy, oh
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up, I can break you down
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
Aah
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happy, oh
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up, I can break you down
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
Aah
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
This song is just madness
However short the lyrics are, this song has a killer bass riff and always gets me going. I love this song for Nilsson's crazy singing and the wicked bass. With a subwoofer this song POUNDS. It was also in Goodfellas, and just fits the scene perfectly. Great song.
I feel this song is about how no matter what we do in life short of suicide we’re still stuck in this life predicament... not knowing the purpose, not knowing what happens at death, etc... so we might as well just get together and try to make each other happy. Or in a broader since try to make other people happy in general.
@gtg826y Yes it just popped into my head in terms of relationships. It shouldn't be too hard to make each other happy
This song was used brilliantly in Netflix’s The Serpent.
TL;DR Talks about the endless loop of samsara. Death reincarnation, ♾.
We have no other path to escape the wheel (as Charles would say). We could try to seek earthly pursuits, climb a mountain, swim in the ocean, even suicide, as in jump into a fire. But we would just be born back on the wheel. The other path off the wheel, is to reach enlightenment, helping others. I.e. make each other happy.
Brilliant song.
I just heard this on Goodfellas again, and was always unsure who did this song. I always thought it was an INXS song! I dunno, it sounds like Michael Hutchence singing.
LOL !!!
This song is GREAT in the extended version when you can hear the bass really go down low. You need a great sound system, though, and it'll rattle your windows. My favorite Nilsson song and while I have the "best of", they used the short version on the CD - bummer.