"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.
My tragedy's different
My life's deep, listen,
Gotta bail, I'm limpin
Walked outta hell's kitchen
Why bother cherishin'
My past is everything, wrong, and my arrogance
Walk down the stairs pissin'
Cop us cause they're bitchin'
Life isn't fair, singin'
Blues and my rap drippin'
Ooze out the blood sinkin
Deep down to earth thinking
Leave out a nerp chicken
I should run, forfeit, and everything I know listen!
I was the misdirected
I was the least expected
Hop on and get rejected
Walk on and feel neglected
I feel like I'm the message
Unheard but I'm the message
I'm the last prolific remaining offer from the gutter
Shot was my girlfriend
When we was younger
Her I was scarred yo
Bullets I survived though
Death it's came easy
Truth the games needs me
Never let them see me down, smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus:]
Smile when your struggling
Smile when your in jail
Smile when your dead broke
Smile and the rents due
Smile you ain't got friends now
Smile and no one knows you
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
Smile when he leaves you
Smile cause girl he needs you
Smile plenty single mothers cry the tears you do
Smile despite the war
Smile despite the pain yo
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
To my man Kareem in prison
I can't speak your name
It hurt me that you never listened
It can't be the same
I had to grow my intuition
Had me deep in pain
Cause I knew my options were either broke or the prison chains
I can't do it
I can't see it, look
Dammit, I can't blow it
I got a judge telling me my life's key
They will throw it
No sir
I plan to have a chauffeur
It seems to me this chopping crack is really going no where
Therefore
I'm resurrected
They call me
The poor injection
I infect you with the real
The dustyfeetphilosahectagos
I spit, so sick
I skid out
I'm fallin'
I'm shit outta luck and I'm trapped but I'll get out
Can you help me
I'm going crazy
My mom plays trix and I beat on the floor like bush wick
My fists bloody and blistered
A pair like I'm ballistic
I just stare at the red and smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus]
There are a few things you gotta take into account
I'm not an entertainer I've never been a clown
I was born where the mothers give birth while they frown
I would walk with the kids that would bra sound ah
Never really thought I'd make it to fourteen
And anybody wanted to fight I was most keen
Plus I had a little temper it was often foreseen
Yo say something bout my momma id shoot ya dead out clean
But ya gotta keep in mind that I grew up Mogadishu (tell em)
The only law was gun law
And we don't walk with a pistol
You get laughed at for being so insensitive to the environment
Cause how will you be heard when those big boys are firin'
War is no place for a child
Especially if hes rollin' with an ak and a smile
He had witnesses on mother bloody in a towel
But please, please, please, please
But never let em see you down smile while you bleedin'
[Chorus: x2]
My life's deep, listen,
Gotta bail, I'm limpin
Walked outta hell's kitchen
Why bother cherishin'
My past is everything, wrong, and my arrogance
Walk down the stairs pissin'
Cop us cause they're bitchin'
Life isn't fair, singin'
Blues and my rap drippin'
Ooze out the blood sinkin
Deep down to earth thinking
Leave out a nerp chicken
I should run, forfeit, and everything I know listen!
I was the misdirected
I was the least expected
Hop on and get rejected
Walk on and feel neglected
I feel like I'm the message
Unheard but I'm the message
I'm the last prolific remaining offer from the gutter
Shot was my girlfriend
When we was younger
Her I was scarred yo
Bullets I survived though
Death it's came easy
Truth the games needs me
Never let them see me down, smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus:]
Smile when your struggling
Smile when your in jail
Smile when your dead broke
Smile and the rents due
Smile you ain't got friends now
Smile and no one knows you
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
Smile when he leaves you
Smile cause girl he needs you
Smile plenty single mothers cry the tears you do
Smile despite the war
Smile despite the pain yo
Never let them see you down smile while you bleeding
To my man Kareem in prison
I can't speak your name
It hurt me that you never listened
It can't be the same
I had to grow my intuition
Had me deep in pain
Cause I knew my options were either broke or the prison chains
I can't do it
I can't see it, look
Dammit, I can't blow it
I got a judge telling me my life's key
They will throw it
No sir
I plan to have a chauffeur
It seems to me this chopping crack is really going no where
Therefore
I'm resurrected
They call me
The poor injection
I infect you with the real
The dustyfeetphilosahectagos
I spit, so sick
I skid out
I'm fallin'
I'm shit outta luck and I'm trapped but I'll get out
Can you help me
I'm going crazy
My mom plays trix and I beat on the floor like bush wick
My fists bloody and blistered
A pair like I'm ballistic
I just stare at the red and smile while I'm bleeding
[Chorus]
There are a few things you gotta take into account
I'm not an entertainer I've never been a clown
I was born where the mothers give birth while they frown
I would walk with the kids that would bra sound ah
Never really thought I'd make it to fourteen
And anybody wanted to fight I was most keen
Plus I had a little temper it was often foreseen
Yo say something bout my momma id shoot ya dead out clean
But ya gotta keep in mind that I grew up Mogadishu (tell em)
The only law was gun law
And we don't walk with a pistol
You get laughed at for being so insensitive to the environment
Cause how will you be heard when those big boys are firin'
War is no place for a child
Especially if hes rollin' with an ak and a smile
He had witnesses on mother bloody in a towel
But please, please, please, please
But never let em see you down smile while you bleedin'
[Chorus: x2]
Lyrics submitted by gingerosity
Smile Lyrics as written by Keinan Warsame Art Powell
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
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.
Beat from 2pac -Smile (ft. Scarface)