"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.
Can you feel a little love?
As your bony fingers close around me
Long and spindly
Death becomes me
Heaven, can you see what I see?
Hey you pale and sickly child
You're death and living reconciled
Been walking home a crooked mile
Paying debt to karma
You party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Mmm
There's no time for hesitating
Pain is ready, pain is waiting
Primed to do its educating
Unwanted, uninvited kin
It creeps beneath your crawling skin
It lives without, it lives within you
Feel the fever coming
You're shaking and twitching
You can scratch all over
But that won't stop you itching
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Mmm
Mmm
Blame it on your karmic curse
Oh shame upon the universe
It knows its lines
It's well-rehearsed
It sucked you in, it dragged you down
To where there is no hallowed ground
Where holiness is never found
Paying debt to karma
You party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
As your bony fingers close around me
Long and spindly
Death becomes me
Heaven, can you see what I see?
Hey you pale and sickly child
You're death and living reconciled
Been walking home a crooked mile
Paying debt to karma
You party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Mmm
There's no time for hesitating
Pain is ready, pain is waiting
Primed to do its educating
Unwanted, uninvited kin
It creeps beneath your crawling skin
It lives without, it lives within you
Feel the fever coming
You're shaking and twitching
You can scratch all over
But that won't stop you itching
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Mmm
Mmm
Blame it on your karmic curse
Oh shame upon the universe
It knows its lines
It's well-rehearsed
It sucked you in, it dragged you down
To where there is no hallowed ground
Where holiness is never found
Paying debt to karma
You party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Like in many others of Martin's songs this one, too, is about the ambiguity and difficulty of coping with the most fundamental human emotions and needs.
It's about the longing to feel alive even if you ruin your health by the means you use in the course of it. It's about the desperate need to receive love and affection and the deep fear of being turned away. So you're not daring to open yourself to someone, to give something in return. Desire comes like a sickness over you because of the moral implications, the implanted guilt in you.
Like in a self-fulfilling prophecy you expect to get hurt and so you act in a (self-)destructive way that allows no other outcome. But feeling pain seems to be better than feeling nothing at all. Thus instead of pursuing your own free will or dreams you yield to something you call fate (or karma in this case). You're like a martyr for your own philosophy - it's pointless.
After all this you're then left with one last question that may lead you out of your gloomy existence: Are you still able to feel that bit of love, to live that bit of dream that will keep you alive and give you at least the hope on happiness? Or do you settle in your darkness, find some modus vivendi.
Sounds depressive? Well, it's Depeche. But I think in many people's lives you will find aspects of those conflicts Martin's songs describe. Love is a many splintered thing.
This is an awesome song. It's got a wonderful beat to it. The lyrics are so freakin powerful too. "Blame it on your karmic curse, oh shame upon the universe. It knows it's lines; it's well rehearsed..." :nod:
@wlraider_girlie Yeah I love the lyrics to this song, they're a little bit funny but they're still serious and dark.<br /> They remind me of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett's writing.
I think bana had it right. Martin writes the songs, and it seems to me that this song is perfect for Dave Gahan... Remember how his habit nearly did him in? He was dead for 2 minutes. Certain lines in this song probably refer to withdrawl too.
Feel the fever coming You're shaking and twitching You can scratch all over But that won't stop you itching
@Nexus7 Yep, those are symptoms/side effects of drug withdrawal, namely heroin.
Yeah, it seems like the narrator is sort of being snide towards someone- maybe someone who he's looking at from outside a situation, and telling the person they have to change what they're doing because they're ruining their life in a number of ways.
I agree with you completely, Dagny. This song is one of my favorites of theirs.
this is gonna be a classic, not their best but a GREAT song...
this song is totally about someone else's drug use and how it's affecting him "Hey you pale and sickly child You're death and living reconciled Been walking home a crooked mile" and how the person probably contracted HIV "Paying debt to karma You party for a living What you take won't kill you But careful what you're giving"
Totally agree!
I don't think so... "What you take won't kill you / But carefull what you're giving" He's not worried about this person's drug use.. it's his or her sexual... I dunno, openness? that he's concerned about.
themopo976: maybe it's a combination of the two, the drugs may lead to sexual promiscuity which could lead to the contraction of an STD, which could in turn be given to the next partner. but i do firmly believe that this song is about drug abuse, most likely heroin because of the insinuations made by the lyrics
i love the uhmmm its like sexy and bitching