"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.
Said you wanna be, said you wanna be a wife
maybe then you'd see, maybe then live my life.
I'll find my way home,
there's no need for you to say you love me anymore.
I'll face the facts, It's not my will to bleed and I won't keep score.
Said you like the taste, the taste of my tongue.
Please forget this face of mine and I'll forget this space in time.
I said goodbye too many times to be fallen at your door.
I've walked away so far away,
and still I'll walk some more.
For the times you saw me crying, I tried but I was lying.
This pain's for me it stains me.
I'd feel your skin I've tried to melt into your skin.
And I did, you let me in.
I failed I fell down,
I fell on my face.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill to ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
Said you wanna take, said you wanna take my time.
Maybe then you'd see, maybe then make my mind.
So speak but close your eyes,
and feel the blood rush.
Lay so still or scream until this dance has slowed down to a heartbeat,
and sweat falls cold.
I felt you skin I've tried to melt into your skin.
And I did, you let me sin.
I failed, I fell down, I fell on my face.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill to ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
Said you wanna take, said you wanna take my time.
Maybe then you'd see, maybe then make my mind.
I'm gonna make, I'm gonna break, I'm gonna take a little time for me.
I'm gonna sing out loud, I'm gonna say I'm proud, I'm gonna walk on water.
Walk right talk right back to me
Its not a matter of the crime, its not a matter of the time it takes to realize you're a star,
and I can't meet you where you are.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill,
To ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
maybe then you'd see, maybe then live my life.
I'll find my way home,
there's no need for you to say you love me anymore.
I'll face the facts, It's not my will to bleed and I won't keep score.
Said you like the taste, the taste of my tongue.
Please forget this face of mine and I'll forget this space in time.
I said goodbye too many times to be fallen at your door.
I've walked away so far away,
and still I'll walk some more.
For the times you saw me crying, I tried but I was lying.
This pain's for me it stains me.
I'd feel your skin I've tried to melt into your skin.
And I did, you let me in.
I failed I fell down,
I fell on my face.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill to ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
Said you wanna take, said you wanna take my time.
Maybe then you'd see, maybe then make my mind.
So speak but close your eyes,
and feel the blood rush.
Lay so still or scream until this dance has slowed down to a heartbeat,
and sweat falls cold.
I felt you skin I've tried to melt into your skin.
And I did, you let me sin.
I failed, I fell down, I fell on my face.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill to ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
Said you wanna take, said you wanna take my time.
Maybe then you'd see, maybe then make my mind.
I'm gonna make, I'm gonna break, I'm gonna take a little time for me.
I'm gonna sing out loud, I'm gonna say I'm proud, I'm gonna walk on water.
Walk right talk right back to me
Its not a matter of the crime, its not a matter of the time it takes to realize you're a star,
and I can't meet you where you are.
One for the money, two for the show.
Three to pick me off my feet and four I'll hit the floor.
I took the pill that caused the chill,
To ease the pain. Could I refrain?
Please one more pill.
Lyrics submitted by TSL_Finch
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Fast Car
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
I think they are Christian actually, but they aren't actually a Christian band in the sense that they focus their music on that topic.
I can't be positive that they are, but I know they did go to a Christian high school. Mine, in fact. They used to come to my house to jam with my brother.