"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 felt the earth on Monday
It moved beneath my feet
In the form of a morning paper
Laid out for me to see
Saw his face in a corner picture
I recognized the name
Could not stop staring at the
Face I'd never see again
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
A war has taken over?
It's the same every day
I heard my name
What can be saved and
Who will be left to hold her?
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Medals on a wooden mantle
Next to a handsome face
That the president took for granted
Writing checks the whole world pays
And in all the madness
Thought becomes numb and naive
Too much to talk about
And nothing for to say
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
Laying claim to the take
That our soldiers save
Does not equate, and
The truth's already out there
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You've got to know there's another
Another
Another
Another
Another
Way
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
The war has taken over
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
It moved beneath my feet
In the form of a morning paper
Laid out for me to see
Saw his face in a corner picture
I recognized the name
Could not stop staring at the
Face I'd never see again
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
A war has taken over?
It's the same every day
I heard my name
What can be saved and
Who will be left to hold her?
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Medals on a wooden mantle
Next to a handsome face
That the president took for granted
Writing checks the whole world pays
And in all the madness
Thought becomes numb and naive
Too much to talk about
And nothing for to say
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
Laying claim to the take
That our soldiers save
Does not equate, and
The truth's already out there
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You've got to know there's another
Another
Another
Another
Another
Way
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
The war has taken over
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Lyrics submitted by Police991119, edited by dashthestanpeat
World Wide Suicide Lyrics as written by Eddie Vedder
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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"
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.
It's a stab at the present administration for making people who aren't well off (soldiers)...
Granted, I pretty much don't ever agree with Pearl Jam's politcal views, but I respect their opinion, and know when they write an asskicking song... and this it is,,, and asskicking song...
ok.... I definitely didn't finish the first half of my comment, because I am an idiot, but the song is basically bashing bush for forsaking soldiers lives and using them as pawns in a game motivated by power and greed in which he has recklessly intimated himself into,...
And like I said, I don't really ever agree with PJ's politics, but that don't matter, because this is a killer song...
I totally agree with N0 C0DE. I also don't always agree with pearl jam's political views. However, I can see where they are coming from and I also respect their opinion.
This song sounds so awesome and now I am sad because I have almost 2 more months to wait for the new album which is way too long to wait. Oh well, at least I have this and all of PJ's other songs to listen to until then.
Yep, I am definately agreeing with NO C0DE. However I do see things the same way that Pearl Jam is seeing them. Also it seems that Pearl Jam are realeasing bootlegs from the vault! So that should be enough to tide us over until the new album comes out May 2!
I couldn't be a bigger Pearl Jam fan, but I'm really not feeling this song. Hopefully it will grow on me and the album will be as amazing as I hope it will be.
This post is wayyy old, but hopefully you are feeling it now. It's about the best track of many on PJ's selftitled album. :)
great tune.... my favorite of theirs in a long ass time
Do the backing vocals bug anyone else too? Cracking song then definitely a grower.
But I hope the album is more like yield than binaural or riot act.
i liked riot act and think it was very underrated, but if this cd can be as good as any of there previous cds than i will be happy
i completely agree with pjs views on the piece of shit we call a president and i thnk that this expresses their views better than any other song