"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.
Let's begin
Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the Vatican what gold's for
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
Peter Pumpkinhead fooled them all
Emptied churches and shopping malls
When he spoke, it would raise the roof
Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame
Governments who would slur his name
Plots and sex scandals failed outright
Peter merely said
Any kind of love is alright
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin
Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead
Oh my oh my oh!
Don't it make you want to cry, oh
Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the Vatican what gold's for
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
Peter Pumpkinhead fooled them all
Emptied churches and shopping malls
When he spoke, it would raise the roof
Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame
Governments who would slur his name
Plots and sex scandals failed outright
Peter merely said
Any kind of love is alright
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin
Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead
Oh my oh my oh!
Don't it make you want to cry, oh
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
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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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
It is perhaps instinctive to try to work out exactly who Peter Pumpkinhead is supposed to be a metaphor for. In fact, he is no-one in particular. Rather, he is a generic figurehead who advocates a more tolerant, progressive, and inclusive society. The unfortunate truth is that there have been a great many such individuals throughout history who have had their efforts for good stymied through various means - some of them fatal.
An xtc newsletter quotes Andy describing this carved Jack-o-Lantern that sat on a fencepost somewhere between his house and the "back shed" where he recorded. He observed it decaying day after day and had a thought to put it in a song.
Further meanings have been covered well, though. XTC songs are never very vague in message or story. They tend to say exactly what they're about, and it's often something simple but passionate, like love, lust, hate, or compassion.
go Andy! -phase
Crash Test Dummies cover better? That is sacrelige. Krackonis must be burned.
Also, according to Andy, it's not about any particular person, not even JFK. Peter Pumpkinhead was the name of a jack-o-lantern he had carved, and, in typical quirky Andy fashion, he decided the gourd should be a hero in a song. The song is just about a general sort of too-good-for-his-own-good type.
lord_lacolith is correct, Peter Pumkin is in fact a carved out Hallowe'en pumpkin, although he may be interpreted as a kind of everyman for any figure in history who died trying to do good, but "made too many enemies of the people who would keep us on our knees". There are references to both Jesus and JFK ("emptied churches and shopping malls", and "plots and sex scandals failed outright" respectively, for example), but to view the song as being about any single figure is a rather narrow interpretation, and I doubt Andy Partridge (like many other great songwriters) would ever write anything so specific.
XTC has said that this song is about John F. Kennedy and is indeed likening him to Jesus. That JFK could have been a modern day savior but was too successful in appealing to and uniting the public which posed a threat to the political parties and would have diminished their power. It also supports/ties in with the conspiracy theories surrounding his assassination. Brilliant song.
Lead singer Andy Partridge once stated that he was not referring to any one being, but to such characters and their lives as a whole; namely that their mission to do good resulted in their death brought about by "government" figures. But the Jesus Christ reference is quite obvious though, in the lines about being 'nailed to a chunk of wood.' Peter Pumpkinhead is a fictional character, but seems to encapsulate the lifestyle of Jesus and other such inspirational and decent people who were put to death or shamed/murdered for what they believed in. Not sure where JFK comes into this. Some even believe it is partly about John Lennon.
I agree! I think it can apply to anyone who corrupts the status quo-(often branded a "troublemaker") and shakes things up and the old establishments are threatened to the degree that will do whatever is in their power to discredit or annihilate if need to be to remove the threat.
It's widely believed that Peter Pumpkinhead is basically Jesus.
Actually it sounds very much like they are talking about John F Kennedy.
Peter Pumpkinhead, refering obviously to being shot in the head and it exploding like a pumpkin.
Plus he did have conflicts with the Vatican and other such people. And he was killed for trying to make the world a better place.
Or so the 'conspiracies' say.
It is obvious he is talking about John F. Kennedy. If some of you may already know Kennedy had the nickname of Peter Pumpkin Head because his head was a little large since he was a kid. And not only that, what other person had the balls to confront the vatican about its mistakes? He made too many enemies, so they killed him. Thats my opinion. Check and you'll see I'm right.
@youb6ib9 <br /> <br /> As Conan O'Brien says, JFK had a "fat, Irish face". He also had addison's disease, which gave his skin an orange tint. And the music video repeatedly references JFK, so your interpretation is definitely valid. <br /> <br /> OTOH, I think Partridge was just being coy with the JFK stuff. The lyrics pointedly criticize the Vatican. He could have later inserted JFK to prove he wasn't singling out Catholics as a people.
This is the first song I have ever heard by XTC and while I liked it at first it took me awhile to get into and now I really enjoy listening to it. In fact this song is the reason why I bought more XTC cds.
My favorite part has to be is when he sings "he looked a lot like you / and an awful lot like me".