"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.
Pretty girl, when you're tossed, you turn
And all I needed was a way to learn
One day at a time
You wanted years you could later recall
You shake and tremble with the aftershock
One day at a time
What's left of a prize possession
We'll cash out in another dimension
Only banking on the world still spinning high
In the palm of my hand
And I'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
A stranger guided me into the night
A revelation turned black to white
One day at a time
You were falling for the words he wrote
But I was busy looking out below
One day at a time
An opportunity, a valuable lesson
For what I'm worth at a dime a dozen
The wedding bells more appealing on the 2nd chime
Play an opening song and I'll keep it up, keep it up, keep it up
We'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
Pretty girl with the broken heart
I saw the future but I went too far
Here's to taking in my last breath
We'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
Aim my getaway van at the sun
We'll find, I'm a miracle man on the run
And I can't see anything 'cause I'm living in the day I died
We'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time, one day at a time
And all I needed was a way to learn
One day at a time
You wanted years you could later recall
You shake and tremble with the aftershock
One day at a time
What's left of a prize possession
We'll cash out in another dimension
Only banking on the world still spinning high
In the palm of my hand
And I'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
A stranger guided me into the night
A revelation turned black to white
One day at a time
You were falling for the words he wrote
But I was busy looking out below
One day at a time
An opportunity, a valuable lesson
For what I'm worth at a dime a dozen
The wedding bells more appealing on the 2nd chime
Play an opening song and I'll keep it up, keep it up, keep it up
We'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
Pretty girl with the broken heart
I saw the future but I went too far
Here's to taking in my last breath
We'll fly, get about in my getaway van
And we're fine, hear me out, I'm a miracle man
And I won't say anything, I'll keep a secret 'till I die
And we'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time
Aim my getaway van at the sun
We'll find, I'm a miracle man on the run
And I can't see anything 'cause I'm living in the day I died
We'll fly, I'll re-live it one day at a time, one day at a time
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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."
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.
this band sounds neat but every song is about a breaking up with his girlfriend and nothing about God. so much for the christian label
This song, for example, is about redemption. "What's left of a prized possession,<br /> we'll cash out in another dimension." Instead of trolling, try read the lyrics.