"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.
Wait, where you say you've been?
Who you been with?
Where you say you're goin'?
Who you goin' with?
Keep me on my toes,
Keep me in the know.
Wait, keep me in your skin,
Keep me in your chest.
I'll wait for it to start,
I'll wait for it to end.
Keep me on my toes,
Keep me in the know.
But when I looked at her,
I thought of only you.
If only there was proof I could use to show it's true.
We were young,
We were in our teens.
It wasn't real love,
Spent behind bars.
Oh it's sad to think,
We just let it be.
Prisoners of love.
It's so easy for it to be,
Something second guessed.
Easy to read,
Don't let it become,
A meaningless routine.
It's meaningless to me.
But when I looked at her,
I thought of only you.
If only there was proof I could use to show it's true.
Just crash, fall down,
I'll wrap my arms around you now.
Just crash, it's our time now,
To make this work second time around.
We grew up,
We worked and changed our ways.
Just like wildfire,
Been burning now for days.
Tearing down those walls,
Nothing's in our way.
I said, nothing's in our way.
And I know,
I've said this all before,
But opposites attract.
We try and run away,
But end up running back.
And all I want to do,
All I want to do,
Is lie down and...
Crash, fall down.
I'll wrap my arms around you now.
Just crash, it's our time now,
To make this work, second time around.
Oh crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Who you been with?
Where you say you're goin'?
Who you goin' with?
Keep me on my toes,
Keep me in the know.
Wait, keep me in your skin,
Keep me in your chest.
I'll wait for it to start,
I'll wait for it to end.
Keep me on my toes,
Keep me in the know.
But when I looked at her,
I thought of only you.
If only there was proof I could use to show it's true.
We were young,
We were in our teens.
It wasn't real love,
Spent behind bars.
Oh it's sad to think,
We just let it be.
Prisoners of love.
It's so easy for it to be,
Something second guessed.
Easy to read,
Don't let it become,
A meaningless routine.
It's meaningless to me.
But when I looked at her,
I thought of only you.
If only there was proof I could use to show it's true.
Just crash, fall down,
I'll wrap my arms around you now.
Just crash, it's our time now,
To make this work second time around.
We grew up,
We worked and changed our ways.
Just like wildfire,
Been burning now for days.
Tearing down those walls,
Nothing's in our way.
I said, nothing's in our way.
And I know,
I've said this all before,
But opposites attract.
We try and run away,
But end up running back.
And all I want to do,
All I want to do,
Is lie down and...
Crash, fall down.
I'll wrap my arms around you now.
Just crash, it's our time now,
To make this work, second time around.
Oh crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Just crash, fall down.
Lyrics submitted by geehavepluto
Crash Lyrics as written by Dan Flint Matt Barnes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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”
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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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
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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 think the very first stanza (?) is just a plain "we are going our seperate ways." Could be due to one of them cheating or maybe having to leave (for college or work) and the other questions who the other will be with when not with them type of issue. That's why he asks to keep him updated. Let him know what's going on and if there is someone else. He then talks about meeting someone else, but all he sees is her. Then he talks about being in their teens and how it wasn't too great of a relationship. Then a reminder that the girl he might've met just reminds him of her. I think by crash, I feel he is saying just let go and fall in love again with me. Crash is used almost dramatically because obviously crash usually means a strong impact between two opposing forces so he wants her to crash into whatever is holding her back and he'll be there to hold her after the impact because this is their second chance to make things right. Then states how time has passed, they've grown up and changed, but now nothing can stop them from being together. SO I LOVE THIS STANZA: "And I know, I've said this all before, but opposites attract. We try and run away, but end up running back." So powerful in my opinion. He is basically saying I know I said we are meant for eachother but it is indeed true. That even though they've tried leaving it behind they come back to it. And then in come the Crash portion of the song. Basically I feel this is a song about true love. They met in their teens, it didn't work out so well due to whatever reasons, and now later on in life they are given a second chance and he is saying let's just do this and to not hesistate. BTW love the refrence to "Always Atrract" because I loved that song and it's cute he mentioned it. It's like paying tribute to their first album:]