"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.
[Slug]
Shrapnel...
I can't remember who asked me, but someone asked me
How long I thought that I would be allowed atop this trash heap
I didn't answer cause I'm tired of criticizing the masses
Inspired the support the devouring of the self
All the power to the people who dig potholes
Placed me in a glass case full of lost treasures and fossils
Got a right to be hostile, my love is gettin' gang raped
By an army full money hungry crocodiles
Quantity is up, market in a flood
But the party over here has never steered through this much love
I'll take the laughter, but I'd rather have the women
Who am I kiddin'? I'll be content with whatever I'm givin'
Work for food, rent, sex, money, or water
I don't know what else that you have to offer
Your first born daughter? No need, already got her
She came to the set hungry and left hot and bothered
My posse's full of women, computer nerds, and thugs
Much to my dismay, I'm none of the above.
Someday I'ma be the mack of the minute
And you were so damn good I'ma have to forget it
Listen to the mimic, it's almost on
Drink, tigga(?) hit me with a tall potion(?)
Think quick, how much more insult
Will it take for me to break your light bulb
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x2]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
[Slug]
Check your mail, climb your ladder
Count the pieces you've managed to gather
Does it matter? What are you trying to achieve?
Let go of your throat if you're dying to breathe
And finally we've begun to make a little progress
Ain't a single dock in this river that can stop us
Lost in the mix like a feeble(?) over dub
Got me screaming at these shippin' till these people know what's up
Yeah Slug's back, but his collection of hub caps
Caught a buzzin' brought a notebook full of love raps
Open the pipes and tuck that voice in
I'ma sit on this corner and nibble on my poison
Baby once in awhile I find a reason to smile
But most the time it's spent deep in denial
It's all make believe, I want the cake to eat
But this lake's too deep, tryin' to stand on two feet
Wonderin' about the thunder runnin' through this blood
I try to keep my cool, but the hat fits too snug
Study the love, took my degree
Shoved it into a bottle, chucked it into the sea
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x2]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x4]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
Shrapnel...(repeated to end)
I am not ugly (reversed)
Shrapnel...
I can't remember who asked me, but someone asked me
How long I thought that I would be allowed atop this trash heap
I didn't answer cause I'm tired of criticizing the masses
Inspired the support the devouring of the self
All the power to the people who dig potholes
Placed me in a glass case full of lost treasures and fossils
Got a right to be hostile, my love is gettin' gang raped
By an army full money hungry crocodiles
Quantity is up, market in a flood
But the party over here has never steered through this much love
I'll take the laughter, but I'd rather have the women
Who am I kiddin'? I'll be content with whatever I'm givin'
Work for food, rent, sex, money, or water
I don't know what else that you have to offer
Your first born daughter? No need, already got her
She came to the set hungry and left hot and bothered
My posse's full of women, computer nerds, and thugs
Much to my dismay, I'm none of the above.
Someday I'ma be the mack of the minute
And you were so damn good I'ma have to forget it
Listen to the mimic, it's almost on
Drink, tigga(?) hit me with a tall potion(?)
Think quick, how much more insult
Will it take for me to break your light bulb
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x2]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
[Slug]
Check your mail, climb your ladder
Count the pieces you've managed to gather
Does it matter? What are you trying to achieve?
Let go of your throat if you're dying to breathe
And finally we've begun to make a little progress
Ain't a single dock in this river that can stop us
Lost in the mix like a feeble(?) over dub
Got me screaming at these shippin' till these people know what's up
Yeah Slug's back, but his collection of hub caps
Caught a buzzin' brought a notebook full of love raps
Open the pipes and tuck that voice in
I'ma sit on this corner and nibble on my poison
Baby once in awhile I find a reason to smile
But most the time it's spent deep in denial
It's all make believe, I want the cake to eat
But this lake's too deep, tryin' to stand on two feet
Wonderin' about the thunder runnin' through this blood
I try to keep my cool, but the hat fits too snug
Study the love, took my degree
Shoved it into a bottle, chucked it into the sea
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x2]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
Shrapnel...
[Chorus x4]
Shards of pull cards scattered on the carpet
It's hard to breathe cause you wear a fitted target
Tug upon a choke chain, travel the code rain(?)
Of course I've came to show you shrapnel
Shrapnel...(repeated to end)
I am not ugly (reversed)
Lyrics submitted by plaidcheerios
Shrapnel Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © UPSIDEDOWN HEART MUSIC, ANT TURN THAT SNARE DOWN
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Where's most of the first verse? "I can't remember who asked me, but someone asked me How long I thought that I would be allowed atop this trash heap I didn't answer cause I'm tired of criticizing the masses Inspired the support the devouring of the self All the power to the people who dig potholes Placed me in a glass case full of lost treasures and fossils Got a right to be hostile, my love is gettin' gang raped By an army full money hungry crocodiles Quantity is up, market in a flood But the party over here has never steered through this much love I'll take the laughter, but I'd rather have the women Who am I kiddin'? I'll be content with whatever I'm givin' Work for food, rent, sex, money, or water I don't know what else that you have to offer Your first born daughter? No need, already got her She came to the set hungry and left hot and bothered My posse's full of women, computer nerds, and thugs Much to my dismay, I'm none of the above. Someday I'ma be the mack of the minute"