"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.
Roll a gasper
The guard said he could stay alive
But he has to shovel
And burn his friends to die, people to die
And the gate read:
"Arbeit Macht Frei"
In her rollers
And a gasper
She's leaning the steps in a mean street
Where no policeman walks the beat
Her old man
He don't like blacks or queers
Yet he's proud we beat the Nazis?
How queer
Arbeit Macht Frei
The guard said he could stay alive
But he has to shovel
And burn his friends to die, people to die
And the gate read:
"Arbeit Macht Frei"
In her rollers
And a gasper
She's leaning the steps in a mean street
Where no policeman walks the beat
Her old man
He don't like blacks or queers
Yet he's proud we beat the Nazis?
How queer
Arbeit Macht Frei
Lyrics submitted by on_a_plain_11
Arbeit Macht Frei Lyrics as written by Peter Doherty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
About the holocaust. Arbeit Macht Frei means work will set you Free in german and was written on the gate of auschwitz, which I think is the biggest of all the concentration camps.
'ow queer...classic!
her dad, he's still racist/homophobic, yet he feels he's better than the nazis. They're just saying that with an attitude like that, you're not much better. Quite a strong statement.
Still makes me dance my ass off though. Pete sounds completely off his head in this. Second thoughts, he probably was.
ok this is not what this song means to me but in MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION, what they were trying to say, for the record i think some reasonalbe info has been posted but ur wrong/off the mark lolol ok im messing but here goes, its not about the holocaust, but uses it as a metephor or refrence point, somone already described the line "The guard said he could stay alive But he has to shovel And burn his people to die - even if you die" pretty well, basically at the time they had to burry their own once the unlucky few were gassed and those that were used in work and labour were told hard workers would be set free, hence quelling a riot and keeping work going with false hope. Hence arbeit macht frei, german nationalist phrase from a book written in the 19th century if im right...this is basically showing the dirty side (only side) of nazism. Then the song says "In her rollers And a gasper Cleaning the steps in a mean street Where no policeman walks the beat" i think this is simply giving a idea of a typical working class situation probably in london or manchester, urban area, very rough etc, but could be anywhere in uk if we are honest. then the final and most buetifully written verse "(her old man) he don't like blacks or queers (yet he's proud he beat the nazis? - how queer...) " showing the IRONICY, that the father, though proud of beating the nazi regeim is no better! and the middle verse is more to say that this is the situation in england, this song is simply playing on ironicy,. CIAO! if you agree or disagree or want to correct me then feel free, life is a learning curve, If im wrong i wanna know!
auschwitz was definitely a concentracion camp, the biggest one. "arbeit macht frei" was written on the gates. the meaning is rather hard to explain - it has something to do with the whole nazi-ideology. for them, the jews (and homosexuals, communistins, intelligent people) weren't humans. so they should work to free their mind and souls from the shame of being jewish etc
and "ableit" ist no (german) word :). and "arbeit macht frei" means "work sets free", right
This song's about Carl being a woman.
I don't think they're talking about modern England, racism nowadays is extremely rare here.
The song, to me, is in two parts and I don't think they're strictly connected but both are deeply ironic.
They've taken a Nazi theme, the first part a German soldier says to a Jewish prisoner that he can live but he has to take part in the genocide of his own people - working his socks off, of course in the process, however, when they say 'on the gate read......', I believe they're implying that the work setting him free, will always keep him imprisoned - in his mind at least because how do you recover from that? Or it could suggest the ones being made free (liberated from torture and inhumanity) are the ones who he's working his socks off to get rid of - he's doing all the work and being made to suffer, yet they are being 'set free'.
The second part, for me, they are painting a picture of the 70's and I always imagine Alf Garnett when I hear the second part of the song - the daughter with rollers in her hair (so 70's) and a cigarette in her mouth has to listen to her dad, Alf go on about winning the war with such pride and the irony of what the Allies were fighting for, liberating Europe and fighting the racist Nazi's, is lost on him as he is no different.
I don't think they are talking about current society and more likely, they were off of their faces when writing the song and possibly saw a film about the Nazi's or saw an old episode of 'til death do us part' or possibly both - perhaps Barat wrote the first part and Doherty the second - who knows.
It's a brilliant and witty song with great lyrics but I don't think it's supposed to be as profound as we are assuming - they're both excellent wordsmiths and I'm sure they were just 'sparring' at the time.
gasper is cigarette
Arbeit Macht Frei means through work comes freedom and it was written so jewish concentration camp workers would believe that after the war they would be released if they worked hard enough. The song is about the irony of the old man who fought the nazi facsists but doesn't like "blacks or queers".
dunno just great fast beated song carl barat and pete doherty are the kings/queens of rock