"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.
We're in love, lets be together
Happy times or heavy weather
Mother says "Today's a special day"
So lets not fight, O-K, yeah.
When you were at school you were a honey
The boys all loved you - you loved their money
The boys would stare - you'd cross your legs
And then you'd toss your hair
A way
Yes, you get by
A way...
Money's scarce, but family honor
Brings it home, brings it home
And down the shops, the tongues they snicker
TV dinners - beer and liquor, oh yeah
Skeletons fall out of cupboards
Curtains drawn, fall open to allow
The light shows up the dust
That plays around your face
A way
Yes you get by
A way...
Innocence and lies don't make a perfect match
Leave your door unlatched
I know a word can be untrue And yet still move you
And all the time they bring their friends 'round
Dress you up, show you up
And all the time they told you it was true
Well I'll believe you now
But then I just don't know I
Think I'd have to reconsider, yeah
I know when she got married
She looked fine in white and lacy frills
Oh yeah she had a baby
It was painful, it was worth it
And all the time they stuck the knife in
Pulled it up and twist it around
A way
Yes you get by
A way...
A way...
yes you get by
A way...
Well that's fine... fine... fine
Happy times or heavy weather
Mother says "Today's a special day"
So lets not fight, O-K, yeah.
When you were at school you were a honey
The boys all loved you - you loved their money
The boys would stare - you'd cross your legs
And then you'd toss your hair
A way
Yes, you get by
A way...
Money's scarce, but family honor
Brings it home, brings it home
And down the shops, the tongues they snicker
TV dinners - beer and liquor, oh yeah
Skeletons fall out of cupboards
Curtains drawn, fall open to allow
The light shows up the dust
That plays around your face
A way
Yes you get by
A way...
Innocence and lies don't make a perfect match
Leave your door unlatched
I know a word can be untrue And yet still move you
And all the time they bring their friends 'round
Dress you up, show you up
And all the time they told you it was true
Well I'll believe you now
But then I just don't know I
Think I'd have to reconsider, yeah
I know when she got married
She looked fine in white and lacy frills
Oh yeah she had a baby
It was painful, it was worth it
And all the time they stuck the knife in
Pulled it up and twist it around
A way
Yes you get by
A way...
A way...
yes you get by
A way...
Well that's fine... fine... fine
Lyrics submitted by MaskOfSanity
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More Featured Meanings
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Great comments all! My thoughts are probably farther off base, but since we are sharing.
To start with the title, i would have to go with the official site on that one. Being it is official and all that. That being said, i don't think it really matters much which you go with. The meaning always seemed quite fluid to me, depending on context and point of view.
One concept that seems to not be seriously looked at is from the vantage point of three seperate, individual girls. Sort of archetypes, or cautionary, tales if you will. I rather think it is about three stages in one persons life. An anti hero of sorts. Maybe even, as the song progresses, someones Dulcinea. It is probably just my background but i have always seen this song much darker than previously posted.
In the schoolgirl phase it always seemed to me that not only did she love their money but that she was getting it, one way or another. And in the meantime honing her skills on the boys playing little miss innocent.
In the second part it's obvious that she is, like her family, of low class. Still they are proud and again she must get the money, one way or another. The way i always imagined her getting it was the oldest way, turning tricks. This would explain a good portion of the lines coming up.
"And down the shops, the tongues they snicker" the talk of the town about her 'work'
"Innocence and lies don't make a perfect match" the juxtaposition of her innocent schoolgirl persona and what she is doing
"Leave your door unlatched" so the john's can get in
"I know a word can be untrue And yet still move you " the lies she tells them to help them do their business
"And all the time they bring their friends 'round" them bringing their mates in as customers
"Dress you up, show you up" dressing a certain way to arouse the men paying her
The next bit is about her getting pregnant, a not unthinkable consequence of her chosen profession, and using her wiles to get some guy to marry her. The white being a mockery due to her past life and the whole knife sticking bit the still wagging tongues because her past will not be forgotten.