"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.
On your third broken window,
Your hair full of glass,
Throw your clothes in the hallway,
Just a sheet on your back.
So you're super-connected now?
All the freaks gather around,
And the crowd in your bedroom waits
For a piece of your personal space.
Are there heart strings connected
To the wings you've got slapped on your back?
Better climb in the window cause I'm closing the door.
On your third broken window,
With your hair full of glass,
Saw your clothes in the hallway,
Just a curtain on your back.
I laugh.
Are there heart strings connected
To the wings you've got slapped on your back?
Better climb in the window cause I'm closing the door.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Like you claim to do,
Like now, like now.
Are there heart strings connected
To the poison coming out of your mouth?
Are you super-connected?
Are you super-connected now?
I'm spinning on a dime.
Throw your clothes in the hallway,
And I'm closing the door.
Your hair full of glass,
Throw your clothes in the hallway,
Just a sheet on your back.
So you're super-connected now?
All the freaks gather around,
And the crowd in your bedroom waits
For a piece of your personal space.
Are there heart strings connected
To the wings you've got slapped on your back?
Better climb in the window cause I'm closing the door.
On your third broken window,
With your hair full of glass,
Saw your clothes in the hallway,
Just a curtain on your back.
I laugh.
Are there heart strings connected
To the wings you've got slapped on your back?
Better climb in the window cause I'm closing the door.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Now I'm spinning on a dime.
Like you claim to do,
Like now, like now.
Are there heart strings connected
To the poison coming out of your mouth?
Are you super-connected?
Are you super-connected now?
I'm spinning on a dime.
Throw your clothes in the hallway,
And I'm closing the door.
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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"'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."
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think the song is about the price of fame and the self-destructive desire to achieve it.
The "wings you've got slapped on your back" are symbolic of a rapid rise to fame, and the fact that they are "slapped on" means that they are newly acquired and not natural. The operating room in the video supports the notion that the wings were acquired unnaturally.
The "freaks gathering around" is a reference to paparazzi.
Being "super-connected" would mean being part of the "in" crowd.
The "poison coming out of your mouth" could be a reference to corporate music, or insincere work - whatever it takes to keep star status.
The "broken windows and hair full of glass" seem to describe a car crash. This might be a reference to the self-destructive behavior that often accompanies stardom.
I'm not sure what the "spinning on a dime" line could mean in this context.
The narrator in the story asks if "there are heart strings connected to the wings and the poison coming out of your mouth." The narrator is asking if the person is really so attached to their fame. The line "I laugh" indicates the narrator's disapproval. "Closing the door" could indicate that the narrator has had enough and is going to leave the relationship.
@ragnar704 I wonder if "spinning on a dime" refers to some sort of rapid change. Great analysis, btw!
@ragnar704 I feel like the reference to broken windows might be vandalism, casual destruction that leaves it's mark on the person committing it, the hair full of glass. The interesting think about having hair full of glass is that even while dangerous for both the person and people around them, it will make the person sparkle even more for the hangers-on and paparazzi.