"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.
I'm runnin' in the parkin' lot, I'm four years old
I am lost, those were the days
The soft murmur of voices in the other room
Comforting you as you fall asleep
Starin' at the mother-daughter clones go by
We're in a race against time, and time might be winning
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long must we wait?
How long must this stay?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am ashamed I think maybe sometimes
I might've used tricks to make you like me more
When I found you I was running wild
Let's get out of here, was in trouble there
I wanna know
What are you thinking
'Cause I think
I think it too
Slidin' across the Indian wilderness
Like the wind gliding down soft roads
Six AM now you're in Hollywood
And you're dancin', we made it
We are turning back the Earth so fast
But it feels a lot slower
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long will it take
To fix what they break?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Your Achilles heel is you like to feel
Your fingers on the wheel
Some live in a palace, some live in the sewers
The director, and the actor, and the crew, and the viewers
Boys get their toys and girls got their dolls
And nothing much else changes through the final stages
How you're spendin' the day is the same as your life
And you're watchin' the time running away
Oh wait up, wait up, oh wait up, wait up
Oh wait up, wait up, wait up, wait up
Wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am lost, those were the days
The soft murmur of voices in the other room
Comforting you as you fall asleep
Starin' at the mother-daughter clones go by
We're in a race against time, and time might be winning
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long must we wait?
How long must this stay?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am ashamed I think maybe sometimes
I might've used tricks to make you like me more
When I found you I was running wild
Let's get out of here, was in trouble there
I wanna know
What are you thinking
'Cause I think
I think it too
Slidin' across the Indian wilderness
Like the wind gliding down soft roads
Six AM now you're in Hollywood
And you're dancin', we made it
We are turning back the Earth so fast
But it feels a lot slower
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long will it take
To fix what they break?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Your Achilles heel is you like to feel
Your fingers on the wheel
Some live in a palace, some live in the sewers
The director, and the actor, and the crew, and the viewers
Boys get their toys and girls got their dolls
And nothing much else changes through the final stages
How you're spendin' the day is the same as your life
And you're watchin' the time running away
Oh wait up, wait up, oh wait up, wait up
Oh wait up, wait up, wait up, wait up
Wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Lyrics submitted by a_transient
Left & Right in the Dark Lyrics as written by Julian Casablancas
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
OFFICIAL LYRICS (juliancasablancas.com)
I'm running in the parking lot, I'm four years old I am lost, those were the days. The soft murmur of voices in the other room Comforting you as you fall asleep Staring at the mother-daughter clones go by We're in a race against time, and time might be winning
...And it's not gonna take all day long Watchin the urban decay all around us, oh boy And I'm on my way... oh, somewhere Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark How long must we wait, how long must this take Wake up, wake up...
I'm ashamed I think maybe sometimes I might have used tricks to make you like me more. When I found you I was running wild. "Let's get out of here" Was in trouble there
I want to know, what are you thinking... 'Cause I think I think it too
Sliding across the Indian wilderness like the wind gliding down soft roads. 6am now you're in Hollywood You're dancing - we made it. We are turning with the earth so fast but it feels a lot slower
...And it's not gonna take all day long Watchin the urban decay all around us, oh boy And I'm on my way... oh, somewhere Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark How long will it take to fix what they break Wake up, wake up...
Your Achilles heel is you like to feel your fingers on the wheel.
Some live in a palace, some live in the sewer. The director, the actor, the crew and the viewer Boys got their toys and girls got their dolls And nothing much else changes through the final stages. How you're spending the day is the same as your life. And you're watching the time running away Wait up, wait up Wake up, wake up... WAKE UP.