"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.
I want to hold you but you're out of reach
Somewhere searching for your inner peace
I'm just looking for a little squeeze
Face to face and cheek to cheek
It's in your blood but not in mine
What's in your blood is in my mind
Something's broken in the way we smile
It is within us all the time
You're well acquainted with the So- o- o-Ho
And all the "Ello" and "Ow are 'you?"
And we both have to get it on before the summer's gone
We gotta hurry with no worry to get done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Let's put our money where our mouth is and get out today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Ooh, Ooh, One of us is gonna die young
Ooh, Ooh, One of us is gonna die young
And don't you take this the wrong way
I'm not looking for a way to replace what love can give
'Cause you can't do that!
I'm only saying that where I come from
People find it very fashionable
To burn like a flame
Never get tame
Grown-up and lame
Yeah! Yeah!
You're looking beat but you say: "no, oh, no, no"
"I'm all messed up and I'm ready to go!
We ain't gonna go it alone no more
So let's get on with the show…"
There's a lot to be said and to be done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Before they put us in a coffin I've got things to say
One of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
Ooh, ooh, one of us is gonna die young
Ooh, ooh, one of us is gonna die young
There's a lot to be said and to be done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
We'll go shim-shim shammey
And get whimsy and get whammy
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
Somewhere searching for your inner peace
I'm just looking for a little squeeze
Face to face and cheek to cheek
It's in your blood but not in mine
What's in your blood is in my mind
Something's broken in the way we smile
It is within us all the time
You're well acquainted with the So- o- o-Ho
And all the "Ello" and "Ow are 'you?"
And we both have to get it on before the summer's gone
We gotta hurry with no worry to get done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Let's put our money where our mouth is and get out today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Ooh, Ooh, One of us is gonna die young
Ooh, Ooh, One of us is gonna die young
And don't you take this the wrong way
I'm not looking for a way to replace what love can give
'Cause you can't do that!
I'm only saying that where I come from
People find it very fashionable
To burn like a flame
Never get tame
Grown-up and lame
Yeah! Yeah!
You're looking beat but you say: "no, oh, no, no"
"I'm all messed up and I'm ready to go!
We ain't gonna go it alone no more
So let's get on with the show…"
There's a lot to be said and to be done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
Before they put us in a coffin I've got things to say
One of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
Ooh, ooh, one of us is gonna die young
Ooh, ooh, one of us is gonna die young
There's a lot to be said and to be done today
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
We'll go shim-shim shammey
And get whimsy and get whammy
'Cause one of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
One of us is gonna die young
Lyrics submitted by Ocean Soul
One of Us Is Gonna Die Young Lyrics as written by Ola Salo
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“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.
sisinki, too me it sounds like HIV too.
The "It's in your blood but it's not in mine, what's in your blood is in my mind", could easily be his way of saying that though this friend is infected with the virus it could have been him as well, and they are still the same anyway. Also the line "Let's get on with the show" could be a tribute to Freddie Mercury's "the Show must go on" and a reference to his death.
No matter what it seems pretty clear that the one who's gonna die young isn't the singer but a the other one. I've never read the lyrics before now and I have also just listened half to it and always thought it was about "carpe diem" and "live fast, die young", but I don't think so anymore.
This song is amazing, it always makes me feel great.
As the lead singer put it when I saw them live, 'This song is about death. But it's also about living life to it's f*cking fullest!'
My favourite part is where he goes 'And all the ”Ello” and the ”Ow are ’u?”' That's brilliant.
I saw them live too, they were soooo great! I've been hooked since. Shame i cant buy one of their albums at all in the uk shops. I love this song, its just saying get out there have fun, because you never know when it will all end.
carpe diem
Yeah, you´ll never know, when you´re gonna die, so you should do what you want and say what you want. The best part of the song is when Ola sings:
"We´ll go shim-shim shammey and get whimsy and get whammy." It sounds so funny!
This is the ultimate summer song. I see rainbows each time my mp3 player is on shuffle and suddenly decides to play it. :-----D
as far as I know, it was written for a friend of them, who was infected by HIV ...
The singer is feeling an urgency to live life to the fullest every day.
His reason: statistically, of every group of 12 friends, one will 'die young'.
He is encouraging his friends to stop worrying and start living.