"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.
Do you understand what I'm trying to say?
Have you ever felt?
Have you ever felt this way?
Tainted with rage you can't drain away
or it will cost you your life.
I couldn't care more.
Do you ever absorb what shouldn't be touched?
Have you ever cared?
Ever cared this much?
Do you think it is I who is out of touch,
or are you too scared to think at all?
I couldn't€ care more.
As your friends fall does it tear your heart?
Do tears fill your eyes as your world falls apart?
Do you notice at all, or are you sailing sublime?
Am I completely alone?
Have you ever felt?
Have you ever felt this way?
Tainted with rage you can't drain away
or it will cost you your life.
I couldn't care more.
Do you ever absorb what shouldn't be touched?
Have you ever cared?
Ever cared this much?
Do you think it is I who is out of touch,
or are you too scared to think at all?
I couldn't€ care more.
As your friends fall does it tear your heart?
Do tears fill your eyes as your world falls apart?
Do you notice at all, or are you sailing sublime?
Am I completely alone?
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
this song describes how i feel
i agree with pravdawglerz....i have felt this way before because of a girl, and it was a more than fitting song to listen to at the time
This song is so aggressive and hardcore, Davey really goes all out on the vocals. It is probably one of my least favorite on SYMAOYE, but it is still great. I think the meaning of the song is fairly obvious.
Mark really went balls out on this evil ass riff, straight from hell. if i needed to die, id put this album on repeat well all relate to this song, to a certain degree
Is it just me.. or does this song lack a bass line..? Kresge wrote most of the music back then, but I guess this song was written by Mark and Kresge couldn't come up with a line to suit it. It definately sounds good, even without the bass, though.
its about going with the world and against GOD that if you dont believe in Him YOU WILL go straight to HELL!!!
to fendergp17: uh...right...I mean that's you opinion...and I'm not saying your wrong...i just don't think the same thing...
When I hear this song, I think of Dave sitting down at a table in some little cafe in Berkely. Across from him is the devil, all red and flaming with emo glasses, and he's asking Davey, "So how does that make you feel?"
Maybe it's just my overactive imagination....
I think this song is about getting so pissed off at God and choosing not to believe in him. Then later you go to hell.
OR, it could be a suicide song. You get so mad at the world, and you just kill yourself. Then later you go to hell.
well, i think that he's saying the devil loves you when you feel this way. the devil loves evil, and we all have our evil moments. he must be having one of those evil moments. he never says its right, hes just simply stating the facts.