"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.
The place where, the place where
The place where, the place where
The place where, the place where (where I stand)
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The mind's a crowd
Search for the spaces
Turn around, time's gone
I take ten paces
Been up ahead
Can't make head or tail of it
I drink 'til I'm drunk
And I smoke 'til I'm senseless
I see in black and white
Feel in slow motion
I drown myself in sorrow
Until I wake up tomorrow
The illusion of confusion
It's not from where I am sat
Recircle, recycle, resemble me
Different levels of the devil's company
They lead us outside
Take us out quietly
To the cage through the bars
You see scars, results of my rage
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The mind's a crowd (the illusion of confusion)
Search for the spaces (search for the)
Turn around time's gone (turn around, gone)
I take ten paces (I take ten paces)
Been up ahead
Can't make head or tail of it (can't make head or tail of it)
I drink 'til I'm drunk (I smoke)
And I smoke 'til I'm senseless (I smoke, I smoke)
See in black and white
Feel in slow motion (feel in slow motion, and drown, drown myself in sorrow)
Drown myself in sorrow (till I wake up tomorrow)
Until I wake up tomorrow (the illusion of)
I drown myself in sorrow (the illusion of)
Until I wake up tomorrow (the illusion of, the illusion of)
I drown myself in (the illusion of))
I drown myself in (until I, until I wake up tomorrow)
The illusion of confusion
Is not from where I am sat (is not from where I'm circle)
The place where, the place where
The place where, the place where (where I stand)
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The mind's a crowd
Search for the spaces
Turn around, time's gone
I take ten paces
Been up ahead
Can't make head or tail of it
I drink 'til I'm drunk
And I smoke 'til I'm senseless
I see in black and white
Feel in slow motion
I drown myself in sorrow
Until I wake up tomorrow
The illusion of confusion
It's not from where I am sat
Recircle, recycle, resemble me
Different levels of the devil's company
They lead us outside
Take us out quietly
To the cage through the bars
You see scars, results of my rage
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The place where I stand gives way to liquid lino
Underneath the weeping willow lies a weeping whino
The mind's a crowd (the illusion of confusion)
Search for the spaces (search for the)
Turn around time's gone (turn around, gone)
I take ten paces (I take ten paces)
Been up ahead
Can't make head or tail of it (can't make head or tail of it)
I drink 'til I'm drunk (I smoke)
And I smoke 'til I'm senseless (I smoke, I smoke)
See in black and white
Feel in slow motion (feel in slow motion, and drown, drown myself in sorrow)
Drown myself in sorrow (till I wake up tomorrow)
Until I wake up tomorrow (the illusion of)
I drown myself in sorrow (the illusion of)
Until I wake up tomorrow (the illusion of, the illusion of)
I drown myself in (the illusion of))
I drown myself in (until I, until I wake up tomorrow)
The illusion of confusion
Is not from where I am sat (is not from where I'm circle)
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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.
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Great song, just the right combination of creepy and party. Yes, very Tom Waits-ish.
It's about getting fucked the hell up.