"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.
They aren't desperate for love and affection
They're desperate for you
And as they sit out there all sly and sure
Does anyone feel as they do
I'm quite sure we'll find one another
In a place better than this
A time filled with us
And we'll send up our shooting stars and comets
And we'll make our little gestures
We'll make our little comments
This song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals
And who I am
Has benefited from
All my cleverly planned meals
I'm stripped and vital
And I see rules that almost fit
And if I voice my opinion
Will you stay and sit
And as I stand here screaming in despair
I say yes this is my life
And yes you should care
This song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals
And who I am has benefited from
All my cleverly planned meals
Hardly happy at all
And I'm ready to take the fall
We pay for the stupid things
We've done where I come from
Can you sit through this
Or is it gonna be too deep
Will you ever use common sense
I hear it comes pretty cheap
And if I speak more clearly
If I make more sense
Will you shut your mouth
You won't come across so dense
Close your eyes and then you free your mind
You're free to fly
They're desperate for you
And as they sit out there all sly and sure
Does anyone feel as they do
I'm quite sure we'll find one another
In a place better than this
A time filled with us
And we'll send up our shooting stars and comets
And we'll make our little gestures
We'll make our little comments
This song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals
And who I am
Has benefited from
All my cleverly planned meals
I'm stripped and vital
And I see rules that almost fit
And if I voice my opinion
Will you stay and sit
And as I stand here screaming in despair
I say yes this is my life
And yes you should care
This song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals
And who I am has benefited from
All my cleverly planned meals
Hardly happy at all
And I'm ready to take the fall
We pay for the stupid things
We've done where I come from
Can you sit through this
Or is it gonna be too deep
Will you ever use common sense
I hear it comes pretty cheap
And if I speak more clearly
If I make more sense
Will you shut your mouth
You won't come across so dense
Close your eyes and then you free your mind
You're free to fly
Lyrics submitted by killingjuliet, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Clever Meals Lyrics as written by Tegan Rain Quin Sara Keirsten Quin
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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When i listen to this song, I always imagine them singing it to the people who are anti-gay, the homophobes, the people who don't want gay marraige in America. I know they advocated for gay marraige in America even back when this song was written, and I know the Tegan has dealt with various levels of homophobia.
"And as you sit up there all sly and sure, I wonder, does anyone think as strongly as you do" it's like, you sit there and think that you have this mighty opinion, but really, not everyone thinks that way, not everyone thinks like you
"I'm stripped and i'm vital and I see rules that almost fit, so if i voice my opinon, will you stay and sit?" i have nothing left to lose, im here, these rules you have are always against me, so im almost living. If i try and tell you my side, if i try and fix it, will you bother to even listen to me?
"yes this is my life, and yes you should care" this is my favorite lyrics. it's like, this IS my life. This is all i have, and you are trying to tell me that's it's a terrible thing. You say you don't care about someone like me, well, you should, because im not the only one, and everyday my life is affected by other peoples actions, why shouldn't you care about that?
"Hardly happy at all, and I'm ready to take the fall" I'm not happy with the way my life is, and im ready to take the fall for the things i am doing to try and make it better
"can you sit through this or is it gonna be too deep, will you ever use common sense, it comes pretty cheap" are you going to be able to handle what i am saying? Can you comprehend these words? it's common sense that i should be treated equally, can't you see that?
"if i speak more clearly, if i make more sense, will you just shut your mouth you won't come across quite so dense" If i speak in a way that finally gets my point across to you, if i can make you see what i am trying to say, will you shut up? will you stop putting me down? if you stop going on about how wrong my life is, you won't come across as a pig headed mysoginistic asshole.
"so close your eyes, free your mind, you're free to fly" when you open your mind to new ideas, when you don't judge based on looks, gender, or sexual orientation, you can be freed, you can fly, you can do so much more with your life.
Love your interpretation!
100% against gay "marriage" because marriage is a sacrament of God and the Christian faith. Have a state ceremony and wear a ring, but your union does not exist in the eyes of God, which is ALL that matters. Homophobic? Tell that to my gay roommate who stayed with me and is coming to stay with me in April...with his partner of 12 years. Tell that to my gay friends locally whom I spend time with. Sorry, but get something straight (no pun intended). Just because a Christian does not believe in/support "gay marriage" or believe that homosexual acts are fine and dandy does NOT make him or her homophobic. We are not SUPPOSED to support it. We are to simply love the sinner but HATE the sin. Your bigotry against Christians is what frightens me! And this good song does not have to be about homosexuality. Spread your propaganda elsewhere.
SweetCheeks2, forget about what you're SUPPOSED to think and think for yourself. (Talk about propaganda.) I understand having superficial friendships with people, but this "sin" is inextricably essential to the "sinner", just as your heterosexuality is to you. Christianity is not the victim here but the very thing (well, one of the major ones) proclaiming a natural minority characteristic as being evil and worthy of hate, for NO OBJECTIVE REASON. The words "marry" and "marriage" are broad, social terms that have nothing to do with religion. I don't know where people keep getting the idea that Christianity has exclusive rights to them. It never did.<br /> <br /> I love this song and was just listening to it, but I was never sure what it was about. I also like your interpretation a lot, underfeetlikemine99. :) I'm not sure how the "cleverly planned meals" bit fits into it all, considering that it's in the title. I suppose it could be in reference to how they have to plan their lives carefully to fit into the social environment.
this song is AMAZING. what is wrong with you people
i agree it's one of their best, i think it is about being in ove..with love if that makes sense "i'm stripped and vital and I see rules that almost fit"... making it work just for the sake of, maybe why it turns crital of the girl in the end of the song, through frustration at having loved some one who loves love, not her specifically?
haha, i don't know... i love this song too.
perfect.
great song
great song
great song
Simply amazing. This song is oh so captivating.
..this song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals
"I say yes this is my life and yes you should care This song is my anthem and it makes up my ideals And who I am has benefitted from my cleverly planned meals"
~my-translation~
this song represents my life and makes up who i am and i've benefitted from being clever and planning"
"Hardly happy at all and I'm ready to take the fall We pay for the stupid things we've done where I come from Can you sit through this or is it too deep Will you ever use common sense it comes pretty cheap And if I speak more clearly if I make more sense Will you shut your mouth you won't come across so dense close your eyes and then you free your mind You're free to fly"
~my-translation~
"im hardly happy, for i've done stupid things and im ready to take the punishment, i will and have always paid for stupid things ive done. so will you listen to me or is this just far too deep for you to take in.it's common sense! if i speak a little more like you then maybe you will understand, will you just shut up and listen? close your eyes and in your mind you can go anywhere and you will be free"