"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.
Tired of drifting, searching, shifting
From town to town
Everytime I slip and slide
A little further down
I can't blame you if you wont take me back
After everything I put you through
But honey you're me last hope
And who else can I turn to?
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
Here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Double talkers and back street walkers
In every turn
Seedy motels and no star hotels
Still I had to learn
That the one shining thing in my life
Was the sweet love I had with you
And honey your my last hope
And who else can I turn to?
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
Here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Can't you find it in you to forgive me
'Cause here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
From town to town
Everytime I slip and slide
A little further down
I can't blame you if you wont take me back
After everything I put you through
But honey you're me last hope
And who else can I turn to?
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
Here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Double talkers and back street walkers
In every turn
Seedy motels and no star hotels
Still I had to learn
That the one shining thing in my life
Was the sweet love I had with you
And honey your my last hope
And who else can I turn to?
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
Here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Can't you find it in you to forgive me
'Cause here I am a million miles away from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver lady
Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one more night without you
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
David Soul wrote Silver Lady about,and too,his wife at the time.Silver Lady was his nickname for her.David Soul was an alcoholic at the time,and when he was at home,beat his wife due to the alcohol.The alcohol was also responsible for all the sexual affairs he had with other women.He walked out on her on numerous occasions,but made it final one day.He wrote the lyrics to beg her to take him back and forgive him. David Soul tells the story a lot on UK television shows and in UK newspapers.
True Story...
I met David in 1977 in a gay bar in San Francisco, & he recounted to me the true story behind this song.
David was hitchhiking though the State of Indiana one cold windy night, when an silver haired elderly Apache lady took him in, tied him up and anally pleasured him by the light of her campfire...he never recovered from this episode, and consequently the future series of 'Starsky and Hutch' was cancelled due to investigative & ongoing operations on his nether regions, which lasted until 2007..David has candidly mentioned this episode during recent 2015 interviews, and says he has no regrets...
first comment here? can't believe it!
anyway, certainly the silver lady refers to a loaded needle mainlining smack or coke, the singer says he can walk out on her any time, i.e. go cold turkey, but he knows he can't and he's on the treadmill to the end, no escape from his misery or from dope. compare simon and garfunkel "bridge over troubled water" "sail on silver girl, the time has come for you to shine..." a similar reference
"Bridge over t w" is quite a popular number with choral groups who perhaps haven't sussed the meaning? anyway the melody is good and the harmonies are compelling, no harm done, I suppose.
@arbelos I'm sure you're talking about a different song there!