"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.
We've heard the sound that ears bleed to hear
The sound of a place the entire universe awaits
Here the strongest fall to their knees
A passion so powerful that walls crumble to their foundations
Here the strongest fall to their knees
The lost find their way back home
Here the strongest fall to their knees
The lost find their way back home
But the masses buy what will make them rich
Feasting on lies, chasing their tails
Truth be told, they'll get what they were promised
Crawling away, burning with regret, to the deepest, darkest depths
Crawling away, burning with regret, to the deepest, darkest depths of hell
We got news for you
We got news for you
The day is soon coming when turning your back won't be an option
We got news for you
The day is soon coming when turning your back won't be an option
Keep telling yourself what you really don't believe
You can compromise what you know to be true, and you can turn off
All of your senses
But in the end you'll see
But in the end you'll see
Nothing stands between a man and his maker
Nothing stands between a man and his maker
No
No matter what, it's your decision
No matter what, it's your decision
This isn't something you could do alone
No
No matter what, it's your decision
You won't give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
The sound of a place the entire universe awaits
Here the strongest fall to their knees
A passion so powerful that walls crumble to their foundations
Here the strongest fall to their knees
The lost find their way back home
Here the strongest fall to their knees
The lost find their way back home
But the masses buy what will make them rich
Feasting on lies, chasing their tails
Truth be told, they'll get what they were promised
Crawling away, burning with regret, to the deepest, darkest depths
Crawling away, burning with regret, to the deepest, darkest depths of hell
We got news for you
We got news for you
The day is soon coming when turning your back won't be an option
We got news for you
The day is soon coming when turning your back won't be an option
Keep telling yourself what you really don't believe
You can compromise what you know to be true, and you can turn off
All of your senses
But in the end you'll see
But in the end you'll see
Nothing stands between a man and his maker
Nothing stands between a man and his maker
No
No matter what, it's your decision
No matter what, it's your decision
This isn't something you could do alone
No
No matter what, it's your decision
You won't give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
Give up, give in no matter what, it's your decision
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
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."
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I think it's kinda about what metal-n-roll said, but they are turning their back on embracing Jesus. When he's saying "The day is soon coming when turning your back won’t be an option," means the last day when the Day of Judgement is at hand then it will be too late.