"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.
If you smile girl I swear I'll dance these tiles
I'll give you everything that I got
Save on a sovereign and ah what fuck it you can have the whole lot
I'm only like joking, I'm much better off win a gamble slot jackpot
And dance with the devil on Friday
Max says beans are like the touch of God
Why not, I haven't got grief 'til Monday
Some say kids don't study - they cram
God damn hate that I am what I am
With slurs and urs and a half done gram
I jig to the floor with my mama's Raybans
Looking like something out of Only Fools and
Maybe I am but you ain't understanding
This ain't a crash no smooth up landing
Kids sing along swing bedroom hanging
We're stunned and stuff alleyway writing
Double timing and all your violating
Oh policeman coming fair enough
Sonny run the whole half mile
Runny runny run the half mile
Run run sonny run sonny run the whole half mile
Now I'm down, well I'll chill with lick I spit drips on the floor
Drink up liquor much quicker than the next man bitter
Cause she rolls with larger and never asks questions
Where's my old friend licky when I'm feeling the substance
I'm like gurning it off a my face
Need a hug need corruption and need the silent violent seduction
Move it down for people I used to know when I used to see
Wanna kick it on a solo ticker drink me like liquor drop and mc and that
She don't know what she's chating about
They love it when they live it and liver lover give rip it unwritten
There she start kissing and I'm loving loving loving she's always hugging
I'm just loving loving
So if you're gonna run run sonny better
Run run sonny run the half of the mile
When police come run run sonny run run
Sonny run the half of the mile
All the kids do is buy you grief
All the parents get is no fucking sleep
Even rip home when I'm chilling on
Drink it down doing I ta bit better off and on
Songs of the rights and wrongs
Sometimes come around with a battle roll going
Other times you be running rhymes and ruinging
Vision and ruin incision and ruining spitting liquor on me
Got me feeling up ya leaving up me breathing on th floor
As I be giving you grieving
I'm finished with the cunts
So if you're gonna run run sonny better
Run run sonny run the half of the mile
When police come run run sonny run run
Sonny run the half of the mile
Over and out, 'cause ready up roll
Here's to born of enough panic, panic button and
Stack tone static and all of you can listen to this tune
While you waiting in STD clinic waiting rooms
As you ever your mother said you late bloom.
I'll give you everything that I got
Save on a sovereign and ah what fuck it you can have the whole lot
I'm only like joking, I'm much better off win a gamble slot jackpot
And dance with the devil on Friday
Max says beans are like the touch of God
Why not, I haven't got grief 'til Monday
Some say kids don't study - they cram
God damn hate that I am what I am
With slurs and urs and a half done gram
I jig to the floor with my mama's Raybans
Looking like something out of Only Fools and
Maybe I am but you ain't understanding
This ain't a crash no smooth up landing
Kids sing along swing bedroom hanging
We're stunned and stuff alleyway writing
Double timing and all your violating
Oh policeman coming fair enough
Sonny run the whole half mile
Runny runny run the half mile
Run run sonny run sonny run the whole half mile
Now I'm down, well I'll chill with lick I spit drips on the floor
Drink up liquor much quicker than the next man bitter
Cause she rolls with larger and never asks questions
Where's my old friend licky when I'm feeling the substance
I'm like gurning it off a my face
Need a hug need corruption and need the silent violent seduction
Move it down for people I used to know when I used to see
Wanna kick it on a solo ticker drink me like liquor drop and mc and that
She don't know what she's chating about
They love it when they live it and liver lover give rip it unwritten
There she start kissing and I'm loving loving loving she's always hugging
I'm just loving loving
So if you're gonna run run sonny better
Run run sonny run the half of the mile
When police come run run sonny run run
Sonny run the half of the mile
All the kids do is buy you grief
All the parents get is no fucking sleep
Even rip home when I'm chilling on
Drink it down doing I ta bit better off and on
Songs of the rights and wrongs
Sometimes come around with a battle roll going
Other times you be running rhymes and ruinging
Vision and ruin incision and ruining spitting liquor on me
Got me feeling up ya leaving up me breathing on th floor
As I be giving you grieving
I'm finished with the cunts
So if you're gonna run run sonny better
Run run sonny run the half of the mile
When police come run run sonny run run
Sonny run the half of the mile
Over and out, 'cause ready up roll
Here's to born of enough panic, panic button and
Stack tone static and all of you can listen to this tune
While you waiting in STD clinic waiting rooms
As you ever your mother said you late bloom.
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Fast Car
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ike and tina is slang for domestic violence - it comes from ike and tina turners marrige where in allegedly battered her up
so although the song is obviously about like london at the weekend (good times!!) the theme of the main character beating up his girlfriend or whatever runs all the way through the song, at least thats what i thinkkk
fave lines are 'all of you can listen to this tune while you waiting in STD clinic waiting rooms, as you ever your mother said you late bloom'
fucking loveee jamie t, lyrical master!
Can't believe noones commented this song, truely amazing song, makes me think of London and childhood.
i love this song. is it right that it's 'tina' as in tina turner. or does he just joke about that? does anyone know the story behind it?
When he's playing live he often goes "this one's for Tina Turner" - probably a joke.
Aside from that I'm not sure of the meaning of the tune, great song though!
this is a great song, probably one of my favourites off the panic prevention album. As for the meaning,i'm not too sure about this, but i think the name "tina" is a reference to amphetamines, and it seems pretty obvious that this song is just about being out in the clubs and just having a good time; "dance with the devil on Friday Max says beans are like the touch of God Why not, I haven't got grief 'til Monday" "i'm like gurning it off a my face" - references to ecstascy perhaps? anyway, just what im thinkiing the song is about.
great beat...great lyrics....great song...great album...great artist...JAMIE T IS THE DOGS!
This song, first, has a fantastic melody and possibly one of the underrated songs on this album?
As for the meaning, I believe its simply a reference to various types of drugs, and a attitude which suggests a lack of care towards the consequences-suggesting a celebration of youth in london.
"Max says beans are like the touch of God Why not, I haven't got grief 'til Monday"
beans=pills? He is keen to take the drugs because he won't feel the consequnces until monday (work?)
"With slkurs and urs and a half done gram"-obviously a drug reference here
"I'm like gurning it off a my face"- gurning, the side effect of ecstasy
The last two verses seem to show a shift in attitude-the STD clinic and dissaporoving voice of the mother shows the consequences of this seemingly hedonistic lifestyle.
either way, its a fantastic song.
this songs meaning is easy, theres no hidden meaning its just purely about the lifestyle and experiences of teens in london / UK
and hologram heart your right, beans = pills , and they definatly are a touch of god.
this song is amazing the way he's word the lryics is great,reminds me of friday nights and saturday night having a good time with mates doing shit that we shouldnt be doing but we dont care when i hear this song when im on mdma and at party i just smile because we fucked the consequnces off till monday,and fryup till thursday
im much better off win a gamble slot jackpot an dance with the devil on Friday Max says beans ar lik the touch of God y nottttt
legend
paragraph1:
hitting on a girl -offering her a drink (sovereign) -he'd dance if she only smiled -he probably gets rejected "im only joking, its easier to win a slot machine' -max comes in, sells him some pills (ex)
p2 and two little ones: he leaces and trips around through alleys, makes it to some parties in bedrooms, and then runs through some alleys
-his moms raybans (expensive suglasses), acting like hes from Only Ones (brit show about guys trying ot get rich), he is talking about feelin like hes rich, theyre his moms shades, the Only Ones refrence followed by "and mayeb I am", it doesnt matter though: "This aint no crash..kids swingin bedroom hangin' (its a party, hes feelin good, the Ex influencin too)
'the police are sure to come soon'' run run sonny run the half mile' he runs into an alley i guess from the cops (paranoia?)
p4-5: gets outta alley, gets in another place, gets a girl in the alleys hes on the floor i guess, and then hes at some other place drinkin with a chick, talkin about "need a hug, need some violent seduction" (ex needs) he needs a licker, or lollipop or whatever, hes grinding teeth from the ex, then hes starin at her talk spacin out a bit, and then gets some:
She don't know what she's chating about They love it when they live it and liver lover give rip it unwritten There she start kissing and I'm loving loving loving she's always hugging I'm just loving loving
then a modified "run, run sonny" bit where the line abotu cops comin soon is infused
and then the last two paragraphs of regret:
one talking about how kids are idiots, parents get no sleep, the kids heads full of rebellious music, etc. and then..
I'm finished with the c**ts Over and out, cuz ready up roll
and the final paragraph is about him sittin panicking in the STD clinic. Jamie was 'born of panic attacks' he has had some as a child, and was proabably havin one there too. theres also a line about the music sounding 'Stack tone static and all of you can listen to this tune' stack tone, or alot of loud bass and static on that, its just a nuisance now as hes sittin there, panicking.
this is ironic because him dancing to music with the ex (which you experience more dramatically on it) has been driving this whole trip. which hes been drinkin thorughout too, with mentions of liver and shit.. i didnt feel a need to mention that.
Ike&Tina may be the title because: -there was 'abuse' behind the music (club scene), as was with the Turner's relationship. -he may consider himself 'ike', abusing his addiction(s), "Tina". In fact tina could be a metaphor for drugs "drugs are his grilfriend'
Musical interpretations beyond lyrics: theres alot of hazy surges and synth /guitar phase sounds because of the song being abotu the haze of the club/booze scene. Run Run sonny and Love Love are repetitive, sorta like a train.. (btw, i love that, it feels liek youre running with him) anyway might represent how its just a long repetitive journey, weekend by weekend.