"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.
Hear the sound of music drifting in the aisles
Elevator Prozac stretching on for miles
The music of the future will not entertain
It's only meant to repress and neutralize your brain
Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
Now the sound of music comes in silver pills
Engineered to suit you building cheaper thrills
The music of rebellion makes you want to rage
But it's made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age
Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
Elevator Prozac stretching on for miles
The music of the future will not entertain
It's only meant to repress and neutralize your brain
Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
Now the sound of music comes in silver pills
Engineered to suit you building cheaper thrills
The music of rebellion makes you want to rage
But it's made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age
Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down, I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no one cares
No one cares enough
Lyrics submitted by NothingMan
The Sound of Muzak Lyrics as written by Gavin Richard Harrison Colin Edwin Balch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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“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.
In one interview Steven Wilson said that it annoys him, that so much commercial (and weak) music is much more popular than the ambitious music (because of promoting singles etc.). He said that it's really bad, that because of the commerce people don't even get a chance of knowing the less promoted music, the one that isn't part of the mainstream. I think that song signifies that.
hell ya!! thats y my user name is what it is lol
this's just struck me:
"Soul gets squeezed out Edges get blunt Demographic Gives what you want"
perhaps this refers to the process that music suffers while in the music industry and major labels.
-Soul gets squeezed out: the essence of the song is taken away -Edges blunt: the unique characteristics of each song are blunt, so that they all sound kinda like the same -Demographic gives what you want: polls, marketing researchs, etc, lead the mainstream music focus.
My first post here, pretty trippy I guess lol
"The music of rebellion makes you wanna rage But it's made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age" I love the whole song, but that part is amazing.
I feel pretty much the same way as the song - I can't stand listening to the radio because the music is always so bad. I don't understand why the stuff is popular when its so bad and theres so much good stuff (like Porcupine Tree) out there
just look at the lyrics "Soul gets squeezed out". What happens when you murder someone? (if you believe that we have spirits or souls).
Actually, I think SW would throw this song as a complete opposite to the theme for a certain reason. I don't think this song has anything to do with the theme*, but morely has to do with SW's feelings towards the music industry (which is bleedingly obvious on the veneer). If you take a deeper look into the general theme of the album, it's talking about a rapist/serial killer, that seems to be the general concensus. From my knowledge of the music industry, not too many artists have chosen this type of theme for their albums, probably straying away from the grotesque and disgusting sides. But maybe SW has chosen this to directly spite the new-age sets of music. He may be possibly telling the music industry as a whole to go fuck themselves with their choice in music. He is choosing to show the world that he can make beautiful music out of real world topics, and real world imagery rather than bubble-gum and unicorn pop-songs.
Maybe I'm off base. That's just what it means to me.
*I put this here intentionally to throw in another interpretation. If it is meant to be the inner workings of the crazy's head, possibly he is a musician that is getting destroyed by terrible music, and the terrible choices of the music producers.
anyone ever thought of this? people seem to have problems with sound of muzak fitting into the whole serial killer concept of In Abesntia. what if the killer actually is a musician (or sth. similar) and "The Sound of Muzak" describes his feelings for the industry? He's not very succesfull, which is driving him mad and close to suicide ("Prodigal"). He has a great idea for a song or album which would make him successfull (the mastertape) but he actually leaves it in a cab, which is the final thing to go wrong and he turns insane / releases his aggressions.
has anyone ever thought of this idea?
Ever consider the entire ALBUM is about metaphorical murder as much as the physical act?
Not the entire album but thats a good point on metaphorical murder for this song. I'm trying to figure out how this song features on the album as it seems out of place with the concept of the album.
Another amazing song....the lyrics are not interpretable like the others (at least to me), but they are very well done and true!! The vocals and instruments go together perfectly! It has a feeling of floatiness and being beyond time (like an outsider viewing and talking about a situation); it's hard to describe...LOL.
apparently this song is about the music industry...the way labels choose the artists according to the trends that seem to predominant....i love this song
Agreed. This song is clearly about the position of major music lables.
"The music of the future will not entertain. It's only ment to repress and neutralize your brain.
Soul gets squeezed out, Edges get blunt. Demographic, Gives what you want."
That there doesn't really require much interpretation if you ask me.