"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.
They're gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do
Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keepin' you clean
They gonna rip up your heads
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Oh yeah
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
All together now
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do
Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keepin' you clean
They gonna rip up your heads
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Oh yeah
They said all
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
All together now
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone
But not me
Lyrics submitted by A Red Hotel, edited by skiddlez98, SmashingDestiny, troysfence
Teenagers Lyrics as written by Frank Iero Bob Bryar
Lyrics © BLOW THE DOORS OFF CHICAGO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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They gonna clean up your looks, With all the lies in the books To make a citizen out of you Because they sleep with a gun And keep an eye on you son so they can watch all the things you do
-I think this means they're trying to corrupt all teenagers [us] into "acceptable" people. And they're watching everything they do to make sure they don't fcuk themselves over. But they're saying, we have guns, and our weapons are stronger than yours.
Because the drugs never work They gonna give you a smirk 'Cus they've got methods of keeping you clean Their gonna rip up your heads, Your aspirations to shreds, Another cog in the murder machine
-It could be saying we've done so much sh*t in your life already that for the teenagers, the drugs are just a costly addiction with no effect. And then evil 'Keep Off The Drugs' man comes in and says, too bad, so sad, no more. Then you get too mad for your own good.
They said now Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone But not me
-Now this is saying, you know, we're going ot do something about this, but they're fighting back in their own way. But Gerard, he's saying, if you act all goth or whatever, it's not going to stop me telling you drugs are bad, because I've been there and I've done that.
The boys and girls in the clique, The awful names that the stick, Your never gonna fit in much kid But if your troubled and hurt, What you got under you shirt, Will make em pay for things that they did!
-This is like, society rejects me, so I'll reject them back and blow their heads off. I've got a gun under my shirt, but it'll be too late when they find out. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.
They said now Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me whoa yeah!
-Now I think this part is going on about how Gerard thinks that he won't give up no matter how much people like me scare him with our dark clothes and stuff, because he wants to let us know what's right.
They said now
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
All together now!
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed So darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
Teenagers scare, The living shit out of me, They can care less as long as, Someone will bleed so darken your clothes, Or strike a violent pose, Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me
That's basically what I think the songs means (not the part in the story, the actual song) and I think that although not the best song on the album, it's pretty funny and entertaining. It gets stuck in your head too. (And I fixed up the lyrics a bit too, for example. It's Strike a violent pose, not stike.)
<br /> <br /> I always saw the chorus as more of a jab at the adults and their ignorance towards teenagers. It's so stereotypically sarcastic. Good over all analysis. <br /> <br />
I doubt Gerard meant this, but I always thought that "what you've got under your shirt will make them pay" always meant that you have a heart underneath. Kill them with kindness, or show them that you won't stoop to their level and bring a gun, instead turn away and slam the door (totally not a Frozen reference)<br /> But, yeah, he could mean a gun.