"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.
who are you?
common dust,
winds and calms,
can't you hear that they came to us?
oh my god,
giving up,
washed out and folded
and goal is to know where we are
when the season ends
and the winter comes
breaking backs to them
is all we really are
to the common truth
or the common use
when the pitch comes in
then the warning comes
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
we have the money
and the people's trust
we don't really need you
but you need us
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
who are you?
Scared to trust?
Throwing bones
at the stones, what you're mad about?
no idea,
indubious,
going in for the kill
when you do think of us
when the season ends
and the winter comes
make elastic bands
all really long
to the common truth
or the common use
when the pitch comes in
then the warning comes
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
get up and believe
you got to perceive you
takes someone to lead
you got to agree too
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
we have the money
and the people's trust
we don't really need you
but you need us
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
common dust,
winds and calms,
can't you hear that they came to us?
oh my god,
giving up,
washed out and folded
and goal is to know where we are
when the season ends
and the winter comes
breaking backs to them
is all we really are
to the common truth
or the common use
when the pitch comes in
then the warning comes
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
we have the money
and the people's trust
we don't really need you
but you need us
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
who are you?
Scared to trust?
Throwing bones
at the stones, what you're mad about?
no idea,
indubious,
going in for the kill
when you do think of us
when the season ends
and the winter comes
make elastic bands
all really long
to the common truth
or the common use
when the pitch comes in
then the warning comes
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
get up and believe
you got to perceive you
takes someone to lead
you got to agree too
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
come on make a difference
show us your instant
money making engine
we have the money
and the people's trust
we don't really need you
but you need us
this is a business
this is the only way of life
this is a business
this is the only way of life
Lyrics submitted by The Nerdy Bandit
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I know these lyrics aren't right, but i figured i'd take a stab and then everyone, can post some corrections, since they are no where to be found.. c'mon people help me out here
i think it's "show us your instinct" instead of "show us your instant".
This is a hard song to figure out, but you have much of the lyrics here. I am working on it myself!
OK, I am ready to help now: Who on Earth? Common dust, Wind and calms, can't you hear that they came to us? Who on Earth? Given up, washed out and folded, and goal is they know we are here.
When the season ends, and the wind it comes, make elastic bend, all really long.
my next changes to your words would be: Who on Earth? Scared to trust? Throwing bones at the stones, what you're mad about? Who on Earth? Dubious?
And I keep thinking the words might be 'wind it comes' or 'when it comes' instead of 'wind and calms' but I dunno about that. Cheers to all fans of this band & this song in particular, they are bloody amazing :-)
Also, I'm thinking, he might be singing 'money making engine' instead of 'body make an engine'.
Yes he's DEF saying 'show us your instant money making engine'. I'm sure of that line.
sorry just now made those changes... its been over a year, still cant figure it out to be sure.. i guess it doesnt really matter too much, if you can still rock out to it and enjoy it, who really cares if other people hear different things as long as they like the music
Heh, it seems like we all have very different interpretations of this song, and for a while I was very confident about what I heard (but now I have my doubts). Here are the differences I hear though
**who are you? (pronounced ya -) also this line is the same throughout the song common dust. ...
who are you giving up? (pronounced givin' up)
when the season ends and the winter comes breaking backs to them **is all we really are
**who are you scared to trust?
**who are you? dubious
Also you still have one instance of "body making engine" in the second to last chorus even though it sounds different, I'm pretty sure he still says "money making engine"
its about the music industry.