"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.
A pussyfooting setting sun
Make a wish that weighs a ton
There are no handles for you to hold
And no understanding where it goes
Jealously in Technicolor
Fear by name, love by numbers
Street lamp amber, wanderlust
Hide her in a blunderbus
She looks as if she's blowing at kiss at me
And suddenly the sky is a scissor
Sitting on the floor with a tambourine
Crushing up a bundle of love
Don't take it so personally
You're not the only one
That time has got it in for honey
That's where you're wrong
All the old flames fastened on
Make a wish that weighs a ton
There are no handles that you can hold
And no understanding where it goes
She looks as if she's blowing a kiss at me
And suddenly the sky is a scissor
Sitting on the floor with a tambourine
Crushing up a bundle of love
Don't take it so personally
You're not the only one,
That time has got it in for honey
That's where you're wrong
That's where you're wrong
That's where you're wrong
Make a wish that weighs a ton
There are no handles for you to hold
And no understanding where it goes
Jealously in Technicolor
Fear by name, love by numbers
Street lamp amber, wanderlust
Hide her in a blunderbus
She looks as if she's blowing at kiss at me
And suddenly the sky is a scissor
Sitting on the floor with a tambourine
Crushing up a bundle of love
Don't take it so personally
You're not the only one
That time has got it in for honey
That's where you're wrong
All the old flames fastened on
Make a wish that weighs a ton
There are no handles that you can hold
And no understanding where it goes
She looks as if she's blowing a kiss at me
And suddenly the sky is a scissor
Sitting on the floor with a tambourine
Crushing up a bundle of love
Don't take it so personally
You're not the only one,
That time has got it in for honey
That's where you're wrong
That's where you're wrong
That's where you're wrong
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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”
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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Suck It And See (MRpsycho's analysis)
01 - "She's Thunderstorms"
Boy meets Girl. And he falls in love with her unpredictability, her beauty, and her mind. Boy can't believe he's found someone who is fearless. "...She came and substituted the peace and quiet for Acrobatic blood flow…"
Boy senses that she is withholding secrets, just like himself and everyone else on the World. "…She's thunderstorms, lying on her front, up against the wall..."
"…When you're feeling far away, she does what the night does to the day…" Like in a thunderstorm, Boy wonders whether the future with this new love can survive this cruel, judging world. But ultimately he chooses to "Suck It And See"
02 - "Black Treacle"
Girl introduces Boy to her secret vice. Marijuana. He has never experienced it before but because he loves Girl, he trusts her. "….And I don't mean to rain on anybody's cabriolet, One of those games you're going to lose, But you want to play it just in case"
Their relationship blossoms but he still asks questions about her fix, which has become his fix. "…Does it help you stay up late? Does it help you concentrate? Does it tune you in when you chew your chin? Am I ruining your fun?"
"…More like Black Treacle, than Tar…" She proves that she can still be a strong woman and maintain a healthy social life while still smoking recreationally.
"…And you talk the talk alright, but do you walk the walk or catch the train…" Boy and Girl become intimate lovers….their future looks great, but Boy continues to wonder whether this bliss will last.
03 - "Brick by Brick"
As he tries to figure out what Girl loves, Boy plays his guitar with his band for the first time whilst stoned.
"I wanna break you down, Brick by Brick, I'm gonna reconstruct, Brick by Brick, I wanna feel your love"
He has to slowly get the hang of his new perspective of music "I want a blow by blow, Brick by Brick"
and he eventually chooses to go on tour and rock out with his new found Grace. "Brick by Brick, I want an episode…"
Girl still loves his music but doesn't like the fact that he's headed on tour.
04 - "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala"
"…Just when things are getting complicated in the eye of the storm.."
Boy and Girl begin to grow distant due to Boy always on tour. She tells him that if he gets high, she'll be there with him in the back of his mind. And it will remind him of all the mesmerizing things they've done together.
"…she flicks a red hot revelation off the tip of her tongue…"
It's as if she appears out of thin air and it helps him rock out, but in the end…it's only an illusion…and they begin to slip into a downward spiral.
"Home sweet home, home sweet home, home sweet Booby trap"
He continues to rock and hopes Girl will understand and be cool with his fame…
"…Her steady hands may well have done the Devil's pedicure, What you waiting for! Sing another fucking Shalalala…."
05 - "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"
Boy and Girl continue having arguments every so often and they begin to play games with each other…
"Do the macarena in the devil's lair, but just Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"
this effects Boy and his bands music as being effected by the changing times, their sound begins to change as well and they start taking risks.
"…Break the mirror, roll the dice, run with scissors through a chip pan fire fight…"
Tension grows as Boy tells his fans that he's changed and he's ready to live the true Rocker lifestyle.
"…Bite the lightening, and tell me how it tests…"
Boy and Girl separate due to this new lifestyle.
06 - "Library Pictures"
Boy begins to feel depressed but he utilizes his intelligence and music, and he begins seeing the true potential in himself and his brain. His brain is wired of drugs like lightening… "Library pictures of the quickening canoe, the first of it's kind to get to the moon" = he speaks of life "Organizers/Memory Banks/Brains of the Accelerating Universe"… and we're the first of the animals to get to the moon
Life is still confusing and fast as fuck but he remembers only the negative memories of Girl in order to rebel and feel as if he was right in their arguments.
"Been watching all the neon blossom, flickering…"
He knows human civilization is moving forward in the fast life of the Information Age and so must he… his band's sound evolves again, as he feels completely free to explore new territory….
"…You look as if you've all forgotten where you've been…"
07 - "All My Own Stunts"
As life begins to slow down, he begins to ponder the relationship with Girl and whether or not to go back to her. Whenever he's out at clubs, bars…he's wondering what she's doing. Whenever he tries to get high, he thinks of her immediately and begins to miss her.
"Been watching cowboy films, on gloomy afternoons, tinting the solitude"
It hits Boy that his stunts caused so much pain for people in his life. "…All my Own Stunts!! High noon has changed it's tune…"
He's mad at himself and attempts to restore his Reputation and simply, he wants to be happy again.
"…Show me what to do, I know you've got the moves"
08 - "Reckless Serenade" A depressed Boy knows he is a rockstar and he knows he can get any Girl he wants. He begins to slow down and relaxes with friends and new lovers that he meets.
"Illuminations, on a rainy day, when she walks her footsteps sing a Reckless Serenade"
He wonders what we're all here for and whether his rock music will stand the test of time, after it all it is just a mirror of his life and right now it's a "Reckless Serenade"
"I've been trying to figure out exactly what it is I need, called up to listen to the voice of reason and got his answering machine…"
A lonely Boy tries to contact Girl and she accepts his offer to meet up, as friends. As they remember their good times together, Boy wonders whether she could ever really care about him again….
"The type of kisses where teeth collide, when she laughs the heavens hum a stun gun lullaby…"
09 - "Piledriver Waltz"
Girl gives Boy some news, she has met someone else. Boy is shocked ALARM GOES OFF(the beat) and he begins to examine his life differently again because he thought he had her...
"…I heard an unhappy ending…it sorta sounds like you're leaving…"
he stops thinking about his emotions for Girl as he sees that they look happy together. Whenever Boy and Girl talk now, her new Boyfriend always comes up and it's like a endless stab to the heart.
"You look like you've been for breakfast in the Heartbreak Hotel…"
He decides to ignore Girl's calls as he is too heartbroken to listen…and now his sound is filled with sorrow, not the Rock'n'Roll he anticipated…. but he's gotta play in order to pull through this…
"…If you're gonna try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes…"
10 - "Love Is A Laserquest"
Boy waits for Girl to break up with her new Boyfriend…he wonders if the two of them have arguments like Boy and Girl had..he wonders if they are taking their love seriously and wants to just hold her like he used to.
"…And do you still think Love is a laser quest or do you take it all more seriously? I've tried to ask you this in some daydreams that I've had but you're always busy being make believe…"
All he wants is for her New boyfriend to treat her right…better than he ever did. He attempts to get high with marijuana like he used to, but he knows it will remind him of her…but that's what he wants.
"When I'm pipe and slippers and rocking chair, singing dreadful songs about summer…Will I have found a better method of pretending you were just some lover?"
So he begins smoking because for those minutes of bliss…it's like Girl is holding him in his arms and singing about love together….
"…For a minute it gets easier to pretend that you were just some lover…"
His new method is to escape with the thing she introduced to him and find a way to move on.
11 - "Suck It And See"
Boy reflects on his decision to "Suck It And See" and he realizes that no matter how things turn out…Good or Bad, it's worth the experience and gives you true wisdom. And wants to keep changing himself whenever he gets bored of current him.
"That's not a skirt girl, that's a sawn off shotgun, and I can only hope you've got it aimed at me"
He smokes occasionally and thanks Girl for introducing him to something that can calm his nerves and remind him of their good times. He wants to keep changing and never stay in one place.
"…Suck It And See, you never Know…Sit next to me, before I go"
Even though they had their fuck-ups, they also had moments of love and laughter.
"Your love is like a studded leather headlock, your kiss it could put creases in the rain"
He still thinks about Girl and knows that wherever she is …at least she's happy.
"You have got that face that just says 'baby I was made to break your heart'"
12 - "That's Where You're Wrong"
Boy takes control of his life and vows to use the experience for good. And spread the word that love is always worth the trip.
"Sitting on the floor with a tambourine, crushing up a bundle of love…don't take it so personally, you're not the only one"
Boy feels great and for the first time in months, knows that he'll prove all haters wrong in the future because he's back on top of shit, and will try to never let his personal problems make him go through all the changes he went through during the course of Arctic Monkey's fourth studio effort.
"All the old flames…fastened on, Make a wish that…weighs a tonne, There are no handles...you can hold, and no Understanding…where it goes…"
I enjoyed this breakdown of the album because I saw some links in the other songs and this articulated a few others for me...<br /> <br /> 01 - "She's Thunderstorms": Boy meets girl and is surprised at how different she is (as you said)<br /> <br /> 02 - "Black Treacle": I don't think it's drug-related. Think seeing things is not as literal as you may be suggesting, but that's just my opinion. When they're side by side he sees things differently and it puts certain things into perspective, and he's already predicting that the path he's chosen is going to lead to defeat but he just has to stay the course and experience life. Not sure how the chorus links into my theory but it just feels like he's feeling out of place in society and perhaps she has helped him feel more free to be himself. In general, he's feeling out of place and is trying to fake happiness (hiding the key under the mat just incase he needs it) and is not successful at doing so.<br /> <br /> 03 - "Brick by Brick": He wants all in on this girl. Go through the good, the bad, and build together.<br /> <br /> 04 - "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala": Perhaps the relationship is starting to show signs of cracking. She upsets him somehow with a revelation and by blowing out the candle he/they are extinguishing the flame, and now he has to see if there's still something worth pursuing.<br /> <br /> 05 - "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair": Perhaps this is a passive aggressive way of approaching things with his girlfriend by playing games with her. Building up her trust then pulling the rug out from under her in various ways.<br /> <br /> 06 - "Library Pictures": To steal from the thread itself, maybe this is just a pure song about having sex. The back and forth with all the tension building, perhaps this is just the physical explosion the two have.<br /> <br /> 07 - "All My Own Stunts": Reflecting on the period he has spent with the girl and begins pondering life with just himself or with her by his side.<br /> <br /> 08 - "Reckless Serenade": To steal from yours, "A lonely Boy tries to contact Girl and she accepts his offer to meet up, as friends. As they remember their good times together, Boy wonders whether she could ever really care about him again."<br /> <br /> 09 - "Piledriver Waltz": She has moved on from him and given him some bad news. She's leaving, he's sad. If you're going to risk walking on water, wear comfortable shoes because there is a chance you don't succeed.<br /> <br /> 10 - "Love Is A Laserquest": Is she ready to settle with somebody (or him?) or is she going around and basically living the life of the fling (short-term solutions). He's reflecting on the good times they've had but now certain places remind him of her. He's heartbroken. He's finding short-term solutions (booze) to overcome his sadness but at the end of the day, it's not working.<br /> <br /> 11 - "Suck It And See": He loves this girl; she's rare. He took the great plunge into the classic romance song and was not up to the task of creating poetry. However, it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, and you have to just give it a shot to see if good things happen. He was optimistic about pursuing the relationship, but at the same time hesitant that she could break his heart (first alluded to on Black Treacle). She has, but it was worth a shot, such is life.<br /> <br /> 12 - "That's Where You're Wrong": Live your life and do what makes you happy. Create experiences, take the plunge on love and take a chance. No one knows what's going to happen, just enjoy the ride. Make a wish that weighs a tonne, it might pay off with big rewards or new experiences. He feels good again and ready to pursue the world. Time will fly by for all of us and don't dwell on what could have been. Move forward with what the unknown has to offer.<br /> <br /> Wow. I've listened to this album a ton of times and... never made the connection that it could really be a concept album (by accident?).