The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Am I lost to wander forever
Perhaps for the rest of my days?
If all that has been surrounded will just go to waste
You left me out in the distance
To wander this world on my own
Sometimes it's so hard to admit it but I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
One thing I know is for certain
We cannot have all we want
Still this will not stop the hurting, It is never gone
Now I hold on to the one thing
Too fragile to stand on its own
The fortress we built it is crumbling still I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
Oh, there'll come a time, yes I know
There'll come a time you'll look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
Oh, here'll come a time yes I know
There'll come a time you look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
In the end, too far gone, this I can't deny
Still I keep holding on and on
There's still time
On the outside looking in everything seems fine
But the fortress caving in comes down
On me tonight
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
Perhaps for the rest of my days?
If all that has been surrounded will just go to waste
You left me out in the distance
To wander this world on my own
Sometimes it's so hard to admit it but I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
One thing I know is for certain
We cannot have all we want
Still this will not stop the hurting, It is never gone
Now I hold on to the one thing
Too fragile to stand on its own
The fortress we built it is crumbling still I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
Oh, there'll come a time, yes I know
There'll come a time you'll look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
Oh, here'll come a time yes I know
There'll come a time you look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
In the end, too far gone, this I can't deny
Still I keep holding on and on
There's still time
On the outside looking in everything seems fine
But the fortress caving in comes down
On me tonight
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
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"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.
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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."
Gentle Hour
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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,
Magical
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This is more of a general album comment, but applies to this single as well. For me, the entire album concept - a Fortress, is just an illusion or mirage. Whether this fortress be an idea, a relationship, a concept, a person or a life, it is viewed as a stronghold. We view it as a stronghold because it protects us from what is really out there. The reality is though, this fortress we have built is nothing more than an illusion. It's not real - it's just a funnel for our emotions and anger. Inherently it is unstable, a 'house of cards' if you will. Relationships end. Segregation ends. These 'Fortresses' all end. All that is left is a pile of ruins, like one sees on the album cover.
Just my (rambling) thoughts. Ultimately the album is brilliant, and the title track is my initial favourite off it. This Fortress may not end so easily though...
Further to this, it follows that these 'ends' see us investing in a failure. We are left to deal with the aftermath of these failures. The underlying concept being that we pay the price for what we do.
amazing interpriation, thank you
@PompeY2J dayum, trippy and brilliant
@PompeY2J Mark and Myles have both stated this song is about building something up in your life (Such as the things you listed) and watching it all come crashing down after so much effort to build it.