"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.
Stand and move and walk across the water.
Peel the cover from the city.
Watch its insides twitch and smoke and rotate endlessly.
Sinking. Moving deep beneath the water.
Lots of other worlds exist.
Soon enough we’ll tear them open.
Soon enough we’ll break them too.
Swimming. Watching concrete eat the ocean.
Metal fingers scrape the skies.
The windows look like Christmas lights from out here.
Floating. Counting clouds. They’re slowly fading.
Blending in with cardboard skies.
Soon we’ll manufacture replicas.
It’s all replaceable.
From the sky, the train tracks look like stitches.
Like they’re holding the world together; like it’ll blow any minute.
And I’ve got another thought I’ll keep to myself.
Until the skeletons walk free. Until the make-up all comes off.
There’s nothing new to discover, there’s nothing new to invent.
There’s nothing new to think that hasn’t been thought of before.
And there’s nothing left to believe we haven’t already forgotten.
There’s nothing left, there’s nothing new, there’s nothing—
No, no, no, no, no.
And I’ve got another dream I’ll keep to myself.
Until the tyrants are dead and the patriots are swallowed whole.
And I’ve got a bottle I can aim at the center,
Full of letters, as a kid, I’d always meant to send.
We’d speak our minds and change the world.
We’d fix the past and pave the way.
But now we’re fresh out of heroes; now we’ve run dry on hope.
There are no saviors in technology: just quick fixes.
And holes, within holes, within holes, within you.
And a place to hang my head, and convince myself there is no difference.
Peel the cover from the city.
Watch its insides twitch and smoke and rotate endlessly.
Sinking. Moving deep beneath the water.
Lots of other worlds exist.
Soon enough we’ll tear them open.
Soon enough we’ll break them too.
Swimming. Watching concrete eat the ocean.
Metal fingers scrape the skies.
The windows look like Christmas lights from out here.
Floating. Counting clouds. They’re slowly fading.
Blending in with cardboard skies.
Soon we’ll manufacture replicas.
It’s all replaceable.
From the sky, the train tracks look like stitches.
Like they’re holding the world together; like it’ll blow any minute.
And I’ve got another thought I’ll keep to myself.
Until the skeletons walk free. Until the make-up all comes off.
There’s nothing new to discover, there’s nothing new to invent.
There’s nothing new to think that hasn’t been thought of before.
And there’s nothing left to believe we haven’t already forgotten.
There’s nothing left, there’s nothing new, there’s nothing—
No, no, no, no, no.
And I’ve got another dream I’ll keep to myself.
Until the tyrants are dead and the patriots are swallowed whole.
And I’ve got a bottle I can aim at the center,
Full of letters, as a kid, I’d always meant to send.
We’d speak our minds and change the world.
We’d fix the past and pave the way.
But now we’re fresh out of heroes; now we’ve run dry on hope.
There are no saviors in technology: just quick fixes.
And holes, within holes, within holes, within you.
And a place to hang my head, and convince myself there is no difference.
Lyrics submitted by arisearisearise, edited by Walz
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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."
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.
what have we done to the world
i love this song very much, at the beginning i feel like i'm underwater x x x
so sad, and so beautiful
i cant believe this song doesnt have like 1000 comments haha. its so amazing.
this song feels like rebirth after like, the apocalypse or something like that. in the beginning, like tigerlilylove said, it feels like you're under water, and then as the guitar comes in, it's like you've reached shore and are just surveying the damage. "watch its insides twist and smoke and rotate endlessly," is like seeing how bad things are and if we can pick up and start over again. the line, "soon we'll manufacture replicas, it's all replaceable," seems like the narrator decided the damage done was too thorough and they'd have to start over.
the next whole stanza sounds like the narrator talking about how it was before the rebirth or apocalypse or whatever. like the world was about to blow up, and how you had to censor everything you said, and there was nothing new to think because it'd all been thought before.
that's just my take on it though. i love this song no matter which way you look at it!
what does this song mean to me?
everything.
this is so good.
its not about rebirth.
the song can be summed up with these few lines.
There’s nothing new to discover, there’s nothing new to invent. There’s nothing new to think that hasn’t been thought of before. And there’s nothing left to believe we haven’t already forgotten. There’s nothing left, there’s nothing new, there’s nothing— No, no, no, no, no.
definitly about how every thing in life is decided for you and that no matter what you do you cant make a difference in the big picture. i have also read that most of ben coopers songs are about his nightmares so i would keep that in mind while trying to de-sypher the endless meanings behind all of his songs. THE BEST BAND IN THE PAST 20 YEARS LYRICS WISE AND MUSIC THIS PROVES THAT MUSIC IS STILL AN ART.
I see it about stages of development in facing society.
In the earlier, slower parts of the song, the singer is in awe of the scope and complexity of society like a little kid just beginning to comprehend the world and the mysteries of technology and society.
Slowly it builds to a dread as the singer sees the cracks and the problems with it, but is told not to worry about it or do anything different because they'll just replace it all with the same old stuff that's always existed.
Finally it breaks into the singers dreams of creating something completely new as he casts off the remnants of what's always been.