"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 can't pay attention
What slips into the system
A light touch, a whisper that puts you to sleep
Don't sympathize with the mystery disease
All it is is a feeling,
Pain in a dress too revealing,
A lost bond an old friend who likes what it sees
You can't shake off the mystery disease
Lovers in a past life
Meet in the street close to midnight,
A last look sweet like the end of a dream,
Then fall back into the mystery disease
Go on, tell your symptoms to me
It's not in any of the books you can read
It's no fun to face what you don't get to be,
But what's one more to the mystery disease?
Floating impatience
Snuffs my limited sapience
Black smoke as soon as the pressure's released
Deep space sighs, the mystery disease
Consumed by a weakness
Cut with perpetual unrest
You see stars, sunsets blurred through a screen,
Trap what you want, waste what you need
And when the west wind sweeps through the leaves,
Emperors of history fall to their knees
Small fronds can't see the wood for the trees,
Left in the dust of the mystery disease
What slips into the system
A light touch, a whisper that puts you to sleep
Don't sympathize with the mystery disease
All it is is a feeling,
Pain in a dress too revealing,
A lost bond an old friend who likes what it sees
You can't shake off the mystery disease
Lovers in a past life
Meet in the street close to midnight,
A last look sweet like the end of a dream,
Then fall back into the mystery disease
Go on, tell your symptoms to me
It's not in any of the books you can read
It's no fun to face what you don't get to be,
But what's one more to the mystery disease?
Floating impatience
Snuffs my limited sapience
Black smoke as soon as the pressure's released
Deep space sighs, the mystery disease
Consumed by a weakness
Cut with perpetual unrest
You see stars, sunsets blurred through a screen,
Trap what you want, waste what you need
And when the west wind sweeps through the leaves,
Emperors of history fall to their knees
Small fronds can't see the wood for the trees,
Left in the dust of the mystery disease
Lyrics submitted by dissolutions, edited by Audster, subfusion, livinlife94, minicuotas, Bearstronauts, qoz
Mystery Disease Lyrics as written by Benjamin Nicholas Huner Goldwasser Sandy Linzer
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
i think it's about introversion. people are losing their capacity to get along with each other,becoming more and more introverted,ignoring reality. this sums up everything: It can’t pay attention What slips into the system
people think that it's not worth travelling to places or get to know new people,and are replacing them by computers and stuff,till there will be a day when we will suffer because we lack wood for the trees (a irl social basis):
Consumed by a weakness Cut with perpetual unrest You see stars, sunsets blurred through a screen, Trap what you want, waste what you need
Small fronds can’t see the wood for the trees, Left in the dust of the mystery disease