"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.
And this is what shall come to pass.
And this is what the children shall learn...
A new precept for the world to adopt.
Rough diamonds in the palms of fools
Prepare for the lowest standard.
Unable to give the crucial gift of reason.
The unwise teaching wisdom.
Fools, unable to give the crucial gift of reason.
The absurd defining priority.
What more can be expected of a child,
Being a product of the stark worst -
Its fathers blood.
Censure rightly;
The ascendants,
Make no mistake.
They are veritably criminal.
Down the random path of chance.
Fare thee well
Godspeed.
Against the wind,
Set sail,
Under the misguiding light of faulty beacons.
Set sail,
With vices for virtues,
Against the wind,
Dishonor for ethics,
And excess for etiquette,
As examples -
Such sorry examples.
And what of the children...
Ignorant of it's weight.
Blind to it's worth.
Something is terribly amiss
Is nothing but a burden.
When the beauty and the miracle of new life
This burden is a child.
This burden is a life
Speaking of truth and loyalty.
Men without dedication
Women without conviction
Teaching respect and compassion.
No.
And what of the children...
And this is what the children shall learn...
A new precept for the world to adopt.
Rough diamonds in the palms of fools
Prepare for the lowest standard.
Unable to give the crucial gift of reason.
The unwise teaching wisdom.
Fools, unable to give the crucial gift of reason.
The absurd defining priority.
What more can be expected of a child,
Being a product of the stark worst -
Its fathers blood.
Censure rightly;
The ascendants,
Make no mistake.
They are veritably criminal.
Down the random path of chance.
Fare thee well
Godspeed.
Against the wind,
Set sail,
Under the misguiding light of faulty beacons.
Set sail,
With vices for virtues,
Against the wind,
Dishonor for ethics,
And excess for etiquette,
As examples -
Such sorry examples.
And what of the children...
Ignorant of it's weight.
Blind to it's worth.
Something is terribly amiss
Is nothing but a burden.
When the beauty and the miracle of new life
This burden is a child.
This burden is a life
Speaking of truth and loyalty.
Men without dedication
Women without conviction
Teaching respect and compassion.
No.
And what of the children...
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Being Exemplary Lyrics as written by Matthew Fletcher Geert Van Der Velde
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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Its about being a good example for your kids.
i feel like this song is about crappy parents who have kids and neglect or treat them badly, and are "such sorry examples," hence "being exemplary"
regardless, great song
It's about humanity discarding Platonic and Aristotelien methods of education -or- the ability to utilize emotional and reasoning skills, learning how to question, so as to achieve true independence of thought. And, on another hand- our lack of ability to use this reasoning to develop laws, rules, and govern morally. Thus, providing our youth with no guidelines...sending them down "the random path of chance". It's about our neglect of the youth, and our inability to instill these qualities in them.
"Diamonds in the palms of fools" as in Ignorance breeds nothing other than itself.
I think more specifically this is about being a good example to children and the generations after you. If you live purposefully, pass that on as the "precept" to live by. \n\nOr neglect them and allow the next generation to lead aimless, unguided and rudderless lives. \n\nYou don\'t need to do this by any ridiculously virtuous method; looking both ways before you cross the road when you don\'t necessarily need to when a kid might be watching, things like that contribute in some small way even.