"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 took weddings rings added all kept things.
You'd never think that a girl so young could be so smart,
Could be so dumb.
I stepped on the lines,
I stepped on the cracks,
Breakin' backs so I can take it back.
Smolt myself, I love my home.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
Running fast,
Running last,
Pretty sure I failed this class.
Running shoes,
Running loose.
Loose.
I can't get it back.
It's a cold, sharp slap.
It's a Scarlet letter,
It's the tenth black cat to cross my path.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry, cry for what we left behind.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry for the life that is misaligned.
(You were not, we were all.)
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry, cry for what we left behind.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry for the life that is misaligned.
(You were not, we were all.)
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
You'd never think that a girl so young could be so smart,
Could be so dumb.
I stepped on the lines,
I stepped on the cracks,
Breakin' backs so I can take it back.
Smolt myself, I love my home.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
Running fast,
Running last,
Pretty sure I failed this class.
Running shoes,
Running loose.
Loose.
I can't get it back.
It's a cold, sharp slap.
It's a Scarlet letter,
It's the tenth black cat to cross my path.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry, cry for what we left behind.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry for the life that is misaligned.
(You were not, we were all.)
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
I cry, cry, cry for the virgin genocide.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry, cry for what we left behind.
(You were not, we were all.)
Cry, cry, cry for the life that is misaligned.
(You were not, we were all.)
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye to all the nursery rhymes.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
You were not, we were all.
Lyrics submitted by cityignites
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I just saw the movie "The Babysitters", it was about a teenage girl who started a prostitution ring with her fellow classmates and sold their services to the "Dads" of the children they babysat. The money was to make tuition for their upcoming freshman year in college. The irony of the movie gives insight into the meaning of the words of the song which is played at the very end. Seems to speak of how quick teens are to lose their virginity, and yet along with their virginity, they also finally realize that they also gave up their innocence as well. Sometimes, knowledge is not always the best thing to have, at least not too soon. You don't seem to see yourself as being a child anymore, yet you still have a child-like nature when you are still in High School. I write this as one who has seen life from both sides of the line, I knew the party life and was a gang biker in High School, but I also grew up too fast. I can not tell you what it is like to lead a normal life as a High School-er, but today is little different than when I was young, except for the technology in class is advanced, you have computers, we had calculators. But we were just as eager to bust a cherry as you are today. This songs deals with the pitfalls that arise as a result of trying to be the first to the finish line so to speak. You may gain some experience, but lose some heartfelt values in the end. Every prize has it's cost, and everyone has their price. Be it money, a reputation, or whatever you hope to gain. It all has a price tag, and so does just about everyone else these days. The movie, the events, and the "Grand Finale' all come together to reflect the true meaning of the words of the song, as it is sung in the final scene of the movie. What was I doing when I was 16 you ask? I was a Junior Executive in a data processing firm, I had my own office, clients, and taught special computer classes 3 nights a week, still was not old enough to get my GED until I turned 17, and then started college. So you see, I had a price tag on my abilities, but the cost was losing my youth before I had a chance to live it. I don't think I would have done many things different, had I had the chance. I worked hard, played hard, and payed hard. That was back in 1970, 2 years after I started High School. And you thought Bill Gates was the original computer genius, NOT!!! Neither were the Z-Boys the first to skate the bowl. They didn't do it until the 70's, I first did I first rode the bowl IN '65. Be that as it may, The rewards were there, and I collected, I also payed as well. So think if it is worth it and ask yourself what the cost is, then think about you will miss the loss. The character in the movie paid a high price, that could never be compensated for. What's your price?