"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.
Trash, won't pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, won't pick it up, don't take your life away
Trash, won't pick it up, don't try to take my knife away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
If you don't know what I'm doing, what you know is
Trash, won't pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, won't get it up, don't throw your love away
Trash, go pick it up, don't try to take my knife away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
'Cause I don't know why I do, what I know is
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, won't pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, won't pick it up, forgot to take them all away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
'Cause I don't know if I do
I want to wipe it out here with you
And take a lover's sleep with you
I'm going to fairyland with you
I'm going to heaven blue with you
But I just don't know if I do
I just don't know if I do
Ah how do you call your loverboy?
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, go pick it up, go put that knife away
Trash, go pick it up, don't give your life away
Trash, pick it up, don't throw your love away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, pick it up, the doctor take them all away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Oh trash, wow, wow, my sweet baby, wow, wow
Oh, oh, trash, wow, wow, you're the one
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, go pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, go pick it up, don't take them lights away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Oh, trash, don't kick my knife away
Oh, trash, don't kick my kinfe away
Oh, trash, don't kick my knife away
Oh trash
Trash, won't pick it up, don't take your life away
Trash, won't pick it up, don't try to take my knife away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
If you don't know what I'm doing, what you know is
Trash, won't pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, won't get it up, don't throw your love away
Trash, go pick it up, don't try to take my knife away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
'Cause I don't know why I do, what I know is
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, won't pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, won't pick it up, forgot to take them all away
And please don't you ask me if I love you
'Cause I don't know if I do
I want to wipe it out here with you
And take a lover's sleep with you
I'm going to fairyland with you
I'm going to heaven blue with you
But I just don't know if I do
I just don't know if I do
Ah how do you call your loverboy?
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, go pick it up, go put that knife away
Trash, go pick it up, don't give your life away
Trash, pick it up, don't throw your love away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, pick it up, the doctor take them all away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Oh trash, wow, wow, my sweet baby, wow, wow
Oh, oh, trash, wow, wow, you're the one
Trash, pick it up, take them lights away
Trash, go pick it up, don't take my knife away
Trash, go pick it up, don't take them lights away
Trash, pick it up, don't take my knife away
Oh, trash, don't kick my knife away
Oh, trash, don't kick my kinfe away
Oh, trash, don't kick my knife away
Oh trash
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
This song is a transformation of a Mickey and Sylvia song called "Love is Strange". The lines "How do you call your lover boy?" and "Baby, my sweet baby, you're the one" are lifted from "love is strange". You should listen to it. Brilliant kitschy fifties pop. This is sort of like what the sex pistols did with Eddie Cochrane songs-punked up some trashy mass-culture kitsch and altered the song's meaning.
Not the original, think you're refering to their performance on Jools Holland where they mixed the original with Love is strange as a one off as far as I'm aware
i always thought this song was the ramones highlighting the importance of not chucking your kebab box in the street on your way home from the pub.
great song.
i think its about drug addiction too.
...this isn't the ramones...
he says something about "up his nose" doesn't he? am I the only person hearing this? am I hearing it wrong? help!
I think it's about drug addiction.
ramones? alrighty then...
"he says something about "up his nose" doesn't he? am I the only person hearing this? am I hearing it wrong? help!"
^^YES HE DOES!!! I HEARD THAT AND WAS LIKE "Wtf??? That's absolutely outrageous!" So no, you're not alone.
Oh yea, and I think this song is about someone taking out their garbage and in the process the lights went out, his life got taken away, and a doctor mugged him for his knife, and he did his girlfriend. I hope that doesn't happen when I take out the garbage tomorrow.....except maybe the last part...
Yess Johansen definitely says "'cause I don't know what I do up my nose," but regardless, great song about...trash...drugs, bullshit, whatever it's about!
New York Dolls --------------><>> Soooo Underated! Their contribution to the historical SHIFT of Music is beyond words.
The New York Dolls, Iggy & the Stooges, MC5 and of course the Velvet Underground WERE Punk Rock...
the Ramones, while instrumental themselves are merely an easy answer 4 the lazy...
Uh.... NYC...
Uh... CBGB... Uh... the RAMONES!
............................................ oh well.... I love em all
BTW.. There's a ton of lyric shifting by Johansen.. Never repeating the EXACT same Chrous..