"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.
Here's looking at you, kid
It was gonna leak eventually
So eventually it did
And bad news travels fast, I think
In minutes half the country will be stiff, stiff inside their pants
All the editors are hard
All the journalists are wet
All the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
The manager is sweating
The parents smoking cigarettes
And it doesn't matter if the vision flatters
It's the nudity and that much is understood (and that much is understood)
And it better be, and it better fucking be, and it better be good
And she looks hungry
On that tape
Yes she looks starving
In the limelight
In that sickly green, she might have been
A girl I know or a place I've seen
Now all the editors are hard
And all the journalists are wet
And all the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
Now all the editors are hard
And all the journalists are wet
And all the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
Between the sweat and the silhouette
Between the drink and the regret
Have your fill but don't forget
Everyone's naked
Somewhere on the internet
Somewhere on the internet
The Jonas Generation's got rings wrapped round their dicks
The whole world waits with patience for one them boys to slip
Reflected, directed by one simple fact
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back
Reflected, directed by one simple fact
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back, ugh
And in that sickly green, she might have been
A girl I know, a place I've seen
And in that sickly green, she might have been
A fantasy that I've forseen
Yeah, get it up, get it off online
Get it up, get it on, get it off online
In a sickly green, she might have been, a girl I know, a place I've seen
A girl I know, or a place I've seen
It was gonna leak eventually
So eventually it did
And bad news travels fast, I think
In minutes half the country will be stiff, stiff inside their pants
All the editors are hard
All the journalists are wet
All the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
The manager is sweating
The parents smoking cigarettes
And it doesn't matter if the vision flatters
It's the nudity and that much is understood (and that much is understood)
And it better be, and it better fucking be, and it better be good
And she looks hungry
On that tape
Yes she looks starving
In the limelight
In that sickly green, she might have been
A girl I know or a place I've seen
Now all the editors are hard
And all the journalists are wet
And all the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
Now all the editors are hard
And all the journalists are wet
And all the boys are jerking off in private on the internet
Between the sweat and the silhouette
Between the drink and the regret
Have your fill but don't forget
Everyone's naked
Somewhere on the internet
Somewhere on the internet
The Jonas Generation's got rings wrapped round their dicks
The whole world waits with patience for one them boys to slip
Reflected, directed by one simple fact
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back
Reflected, directed by one simple fact
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back
Be careful what you're looking at because it might be looking back, ugh
And in that sickly green, she might have been
A girl I know, a place I've seen
And in that sickly green, she might have been
A fantasy that I've forseen
Yeah, get it up, get it off online
Get it up, get it on, get it off online
In a sickly green, she might have been, a girl I know, a place I've seen
A girl I know, or a place I've seen
Lyrics submitted by TheLonging
Sex Tapes Lyrics as written by Rody Walker Lucas Hoskin
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Favorite line in this is "between the sweat and the silhouette"
Really great imagery, especially when you're supposed to be thinking of it in a sexual context.