"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.
There's a black cloud overhead that's me
And the poison ivy chokes the tree again it's me
I'm the filthy one on bourbon street you walk on by
I'm the little boy that pushes hard and makes it cry
There's a dirty needle in your child ha ha stick me
Empty bottles still in hand still dead still me
I'm the suit and tie that breaks the street and still wants more
I'm the 45 that's in your mouth I'm a dirty, dirty whore, yeah
Look, it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see
Hey look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
Yeah he wants to become father now me again, me
The marks inside your arms still leaves me alone to me
I'm the nothing face that plants a bomb and strolls away
I'm the one who doesn't look quite right as children play
Yeah, look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see
Hey look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
It's me
Look up to me
What you've been and what you've feared
Look up to me look it's me, what you hear
See right through me see the one who can't be free
See right through me look it's me when no one wants to see
Hey, hey, hey
Hm, now see the black cloud overhead that's me
Hm, in this poison ivy chokes the tree again it's me
And I'm the filthy one on bourbon street you walk on by
And I'm the little boy that pushes, pushes makes it cry
Yeah look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see hey, hey
Look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me yeah
It's me
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
See right though me look up to me
See right though me look up to me
And the poison ivy chokes the tree again it's me
I'm the filthy one on bourbon street you walk on by
I'm the little boy that pushes hard and makes it cry
There's a dirty needle in your child ha ha stick me
Empty bottles still in hand still dead still me
I'm the suit and tie that breaks the street and still wants more
I'm the 45 that's in your mouth I'm a dirty, dirty whore, yeah
Look, it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see
Hey look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
Yeah he wants to become father now me again, me
The marks inside your arms still leaves me alone to me
I'm the nothing face that plants a bomb and strolls away
I'm the one who doesn't look quite right as children play
Yeah, look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see
Hey look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
It's me
Look up to me
What you've been and what you've feared
Look up to me look it's me, what you hear
See right through me see the one who can't be free
See right through me look it's me when no one wants to see
Hey, hey, hey
Hm, now see the black cloud overhead that's me
Hm, in this poison ivy chokes the tree again it's me
And I'm the filthy one on bourbon street you walk on by
And I'm the little boy that pushes, pushes makes it cry
Yeah look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but too old to see hey, hey
Look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world just what you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me yeah
It's me
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
See right though me look up to me
See right though me look up to me
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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."
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,
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.
i think for love and the last guy is close but i thinks its about him being either a man whore, a bum, or a bum/child-raper.