"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.
it was the 3rd of june another sleepy dusty delta day
i was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay.
at dinner time we stopped off on down to the house to eat
and mama hollered out the backdoor y'all remember to wipe your feet.
she said i got some of news this mornin' from choctaw ridge
seems that billy joe macallister's jumped off the tallahatchee bridge.
well papa said to mama as he passed around the black eyed peas
billy joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits please
there's 5 more acres in the lower 40 i got to plow
mama said was a shame about billy joe anyhow
seems that nothin' never comes to no good up on choctaw ridge and now you
tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge.
brother recollected when he and tom and billy joe
put a frog down my back at the carol couty picture show
and wasnt i talkin' to him after church last sunday night
i'll have another peice of apple pie but oh it dont seem right
saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on choctaw ridge
and now you tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge
mama said to me child what's happened to your appetite?
i've been cooking all morning and you havent touched a single bite
that nice young preacher brother taylor dropped by today,
said he'd be pleased have dinner on sunday,
oh by the way
said he saw a girl who looked alot like you up on choctaw ridge
and she and billy joe was throwin' something off the tallahatchee bridge.
a year's come and gone since we heard the news about billy joe
brother married becky thompson and they bought a store in tupelo
was a virus goin round and papa caught it and he died last spring
now mama doesnt seem to wanto do much of anything
me i spend alot of my time pickin flowers up on choctaw ridge
and throw 'em into the muddy water off the tallahatchee bridge.
i was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay.
at dinner time we stopped off on down to the house to eat
and mama hollered out the backdoor y'all remember to wipe your feet.
she said i got some of news this mornin' from choctaw ridge
seems that billy joe macallister's jumped off the tallahatchee bridge.
well papa said to mama as he passed around the black eyed peas
billy joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits please
there's 5 more acres in the lower 40 i got to plow
mama said was a shame about billy joe anyhow
seems that nothin' never comes to no good up on choctaw ridge and now you
tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge.
brother recollected when he and tom and billy joe
put a frog down my back at the carol couty picture show
and wasnt i talkin' to him after church last sunday night
i'll have another peice of apple pie but oh it dont seem right
saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on choctaw ridge
and now you tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge
mama said to me child what's happened to your appetite?
i've been cooking all morning and you havent touched a single bite
that nice young preacher brother taylor dropped by today,
said he'd be pleased have dinner on sunday,
oh by the way
said he saw a girl who looked alot like you up on choctaw ridge
and she and billy joe was throwin' something off the tallahatchee bridge.
a year's come and gone since we heard the news about billy joe
brother married becky thompson and they bought a store in tupelo
was a virus goin round and papa caught it and he died last spring
now mama doesnt seem to wanto do much of anything
me i spend alot of my time pickin flowers up on choctaw ridge
and throw 'em into the muddy water off the tallahatchee bridge.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Ode to Billie Joe Lyrics as written by Bobbie Gentry
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.