"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.
Turning on the TV and what do I see?
A pageantry of empty gestures all lined up for me, wow!
I'd have thought by now we would be ready to proceed
But a tearful hymn to tug the heart
And a man-sized wreath, ow!
[Chorus]
Throw it on the fire
Throw it in the air
Kick it out on the dance-floor like you just don't care, oh
Give me the sound
Wave the palms, steal the alms, fists in the air
A motorcade up benign shows the people that you care, ow!
Nature abhors a vacuum but what's between your ears?
Your judgment clouded with fearful thoughts
A headlights and a deer, ow!
[Chorus]
Look at what I've found
Everybody look around
Everybody looking like they just don't care, oh
Give me the sound
Well I'm not deceived by pomp and odious conceit
But a tearful hymn to tug the heart
And a man-sized wreath-ow!
[Chorus]
Look at what I've found
Everybody look around
Everybody looking like they just don't care
[Chorus]
Give me the sound
Give me the sound
Give me the sound
A pageantry of empty gestures all lined up for me, wow!
I'd have thought by now we would be ready to proceed
But a tearful hymn to tug the heart
And a man-sized wreath, ow!
[Chorus]
Throw it on the fire
Throw it in the air
Kick it out on the dance-floor like you just don't care, oh
Give me the sound
Wave the palms, steal the alms, fists in the air
A motorcade up benign shows the people that you care, ow!
Nature abhors a vacuum but what's between your ears?
Your judgment clouded with fearful thoughts
A headlights and a deer, ow!
[Chorus]
Look at what I've found
Everybody look around
Everybody looking like they just don't care, oh
Give me the sound
Well I'm not deceived by pomp and odious conceit
But a tearful hymn to tug the heart
And a man-sized wreath-ow!
[Chorus]
Look at what I've found
Everybody look around
Everybody looking like they just don't care
[Chorus]
Give me the sound
Give me the sound
Give me the sound
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
cool. 1st.
This song just mocks the sh*t out of George Bush. I think the reference of a "man-sized wreath" is akin to the floral arrangements found at a funeral. And ol' GW is surely has the personna of a dead-man walking threough the dying days of his final term.
Also, to this point, I thinkStipe's refrain of "owww" or "wowww" after each stanza is like someone putting down or making a joke at some one else's expense and then self-mockingly saying "OW" after each of his jokes/putdowns. It's friggin' awesome.
I really really think that Stipe has a ton of contempt for the hypocritical bastard and this entire song, along with several others off of accelerate, continuously hammer home this theme (including Living Well is the best revenge's line "you're nothing but a footnote."
You go Michael. We are indeed the children of the choir.
Well according to Q magazine its about the government blocking protests whilst MLKs widows was addressing a crowd. i take the first verse to mean that the state of things should have improved since the Reagan years and yet America still has a right wing regime. 'the empty gestures' are probably referring to Bush's appearance wth civil rights activists for example; he wants to be seen with them but otherwise has done nothing to try and improve the problems with poverty or racial inequality
You watch the new video for this song (look on Youtube), and you get a sense it has to do with everything wrong with this country today.
-The limos in the video: The government in general -Limos hitting people: The gov't doesn't care about you -Limos stopping in front of the guy: China, specifially the Tieneman Square Fiasco (And we still do everything with them) -Limos crashing through and destroying the forest, then the smokestacks: Destroy/pollute the environment, the feds (republicans mainly) support it, w/ the oil industry -"Kick it out on the dancefloor like you just don't care": We don't care/are too ignorant to notice any of this -Camera w/ "You're being watched" sign in the video: The federal wiretapping and spying in general -The limos crashing into the guy and getting blown up: We gotta stop all of this crap
That's what I get from the video anyhow, and how it relates to the song. I could be wrong w/ any of this though
I forgot one thing:
The three block-figures w/ suits and ties in the video on the screens: Top Corporate/Government people "getting rid" of the issues at hand, mainly the oil industry again, since it shows the block-guys dancing in front of oil wells at the end
I agree with Peace Frog, but I think the Man-Sized Wreath represents all of the brave soldiers who have died for this country and how they attempt to distract attention.