"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.
Supper time in the hole
Supper time in the hole
I shame my family, shame my home
Supper time
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting
All the white boys in the stay pressed slacks
They're home for the summer from college
Staying out late, getting rowdy at the bar
And looking for trouble uptown
They come up my block, 'bout 5 or 6 of them
Smashing their bottles in the gutter
Yelling all kinds of obscenities
About woman and God and law
Another supper time in the hole
Supper time
I shame my family, shame my home
Supper time
A young girl turned the corner with a clerk dress on
That girl was my sister
Just got off the night shift at Pennington's Place
Just wanna go home and get some sleep
Butch grabbed her by the waist with the caffeine eyes
The hands all [Incomprehensible]
I picked up a brick from my papa's front yard
And threw it at the tallest boy's face
Well, blood was streaming like a well that sprung
I couldn't believe what I had just done
Well, the other boy ran and this one stayed
On the ground and he would never move again
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
All us boys on death row
We're just waiting for a pardon
All us boys on death row
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Supper time in the hole
I shame my family, shame my home
Supper time
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting
All the white boys in the stay pressed slacks
They're home for the summer from college
Staying out late, getting rowdy at the bar
And looking for trouble uptown
They come up my block, 'bout 5 or 6 of them
Smashing their bottles in the gutter
Yelling all kinds of obscenities
About woman and God and law
Another supper time in the hole
Supper time
I shame my family, shame my home
Supper time
A young girl turned the corner with a clerk dress on
That girl was my sister
Just got off the night shift at Pennington's Place
Just wanna go home and get some sleep
Butch grabbed her by the waist with the caffeine eyes
The hands all [Incomprehensible]
I picked up a brick from my papa's front yard
And threw it at the tallest boy's face
Well, blood was streaming like a well that sprung
I couldn't believe what I had just done
Well, the other boy ran and this one stayed
On the ground and he would never move again
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
All us boys on death row
We're just waiting for a pardon
All us boys on death row
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Lyrics submitted by laura_anne_rock
Saint John Lyrics as written by Matthew Cole Aveiro Jonathan Bo Russell
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
"Just got off the night shift at Pennington's place"*