"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.
God knows I tried everything I could
To stay inside tonight
But that boy's like a sore in your mouth
That you just have to fight
Your number one is shakin' hands
With numbers two and three
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
I made a point of not mixin'
Love and pleasure in my life
'Cause daytime boys and nighttime boys
Usually don't see eye to eye
But I've been on a goal of late
And they're all on their knees
Is it guilty in here, or is just me?
What became of all the boys
Who only want one thing?
Will someone tell me what I'm doin' wrong
'Cause the good ones all got wedding rings
And the young ones are just too dumb
And I don't think I have any more
Room underneath my thumb
Maybe after all the ends do justify the means
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
What became of all the boys
Who only want one thing?
Will someone tell me what I'm doin' wrong
'Cause the good ones all got wedding rings
And the young ones are just too dumb
And I don't think I have any more
Room underneath my thumb
Maybe after all the ends do justify the means
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
Is it guilty in here - maybe it's just me
To stay inside tonight
But that boy's like a sore in your mouth
That you just have to fight
Your number one is shakin' hands
With numbers two and three
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
I made a point of not mixin'
Love and pleasure in my life
'Cause daytime boys and nighttime boys
Usually don't see eye to eye
But I've been on a goal of late
And they're all on their knees
Is it guilty in here, or is just me?
What became of all the boys
Who only want one thing?
Will someone tell me what I'm doin' wrong
'Cause the good ones all got wedding rings
And the young ones are just too dumb
And I don't think I have any more
Room underneath my thumb
Maybe after all the ends do justify the means
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
What became of all the boys
Who only want one thing?
Will someone tell me what I'm doin' wrong
'Cause the good ones all got wedding rings
And the young ones are just too dumb
And I don't think I have any more
Room underneath my thumb
Maybe after all the ends do justify the means
Is it guilty in here, or is it just me?
Is it guilty in here - maybe it's just me
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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.
"God knows I tried everything I could To stay inside tonight But that boy's like a sore in your mouth That you just have to bite"
Got to love that part. The analogy is so dead on. You can't just leave the sore alone to heal, you have to bite it.
"'Cause the good ones all got wedding rings And the young ones are just too dumb"
Totally agree with that part. All of the good guys are married and ones left for you are immature and just downright stupid.
"Maybe after all the ends do justify the means Is it guilty in here or is it just me"
Sounds like she possibly could have slept with one of the married men. In the beginning she says, "His number one is shakin' hands With numbers two and three" ... Are they at a party of some sorts, where the wife is there (his number one) and she's greeting her husbands number 2 and 3? - Of course she doesn't know that her husband has slept with them. But the girl is feeling guilty.
Hard to explain but it all sounded good in my head!! lol
I do believe she's saying "him number one is shaking hands with numbers 2 & 3." The whole song suggests to me that she's playing the field and the guys met. That's why "day time boys and night time boys usually don't see eye to eye." And she's guilty, but not feeling so bad about it.
I can really relate to this right now..in the way I am interpreting this. Perhaps she just got outta a (bad)relationship and she's not ready for a serious relationship and all she wants to do is have 'fun' with guys and not commit but she just keeps meeting guys who are unavailable (married) or who are just not worth her time even for 'fun'. (Also I'm sure she is finding guys who want to commit but she's not lookin for that).
I don't think she hooked up with a married man, Taxasbaby4735..the numbers two and three are just other guys she's 'talkin' to and she feels guilty because she almost feels like she's leading them all on (and maybe she's around them all at once).