"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.
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel lift me up
And I open bloodshot eyes
Into fluorescent white
They flip the siren, hit the lights
Close the doors, and I am gone
Now I lay here owing my life
To a stranger, and I realize
That empty words are not enough
I'm left here with the question of just
What have I to show except
The promises I never kept?
I lie here shaking on this bed
Under the weight of my regrets
I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Look around and you'll see that at times
It feels like no one really cares
It gets me down, but I'm still gonna try to
Do what's right, I know that there's a
Difference between sleight of hand
And giving everything you have
There's a line drawn in the sand
I'm working up the will to cross it
And I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of always talking
When there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of empty words
Let's lead, and not follow
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel steal me from the
Greedy jaws of death and chance
And pull me in with steady hands
They've given me a second chance
The artist in the ambulance
I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Can we pick you off the ground?
More than flashing lights and sounds
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel lift me up
And I open bloodshot eyes
Into fluorescent white
They flip the siren, hit the lights
Close the doors, and I am gone
Now I lay here owing my life
To a stranger, and I realize
That empty words are not enough
I'm left here with the question of just
What have I to show except
The promises I never kept?
I lie here shaking on this bed
Under the weight of my regrets
I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Look around and you'll see that at times
It feels like no one really cares
It gets me down, but I'm still gonna try to
Do what's right, I know that there's a
Difference between sleight of hand
And giving everything you have
There's a line drawn in the sand
I'm working up the will to cross it
And I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of always talking
When there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of empty words
Let's lead, and not follow
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel steal me from the
Greedy jaws of death and chance
And pull me in with steady hands
They've given me a second chance
The artist in the ambulance
I hope, that I will never let you down
I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Can we pick you off the ground?
More than flashing lights and sounds
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This song was inspired by Al Burian's book "The Burn Collector." I think song is about how Thrice hopes they can be more than just a band. (more than flashing lights and sound). They want to inspire and motivate people (can we pick you off the ground) to make the world a better place for everyone to live in.
A paramedic physically helps people who are hurt and wounded. They are literally picking people up off the ground. It's easy to see, how everyday they are out making society a better place for us all.
It's a little different for an Artist. An artist has to figure out a way to abstractly pick people off the ground and help them. Quite a daunting task for any Musician or Artist. But, this song is Thrice's way of telling their fans they will take on this challenge with everything thing they have. They are the artist in the ambulance and they will do their best to pick us off the ground.
I hope this makes sense to someone.