"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.
Someday someone somewhere somehow
Is going to make you understand
These words will drill into your head
You undergo the process then
You will do anything they say
They will have power over you
You will not question their authority
You know what they can do
[Chorus]
I shake my head, I don't know what to say
I see my chance to turn and walk away
I will not be a part of this romance
I just can't take that chance
Because I see my opportunity to shout
The last goodbye
I bet you never did expect
To have a big important name
They all will have exquisite taste
But everyone will look the same
You will be quickly photographed
You will be shot from every side
They'll teach you what you need to learn
Then they will take you for a ride
[Chorus]
Is going to make you understand
These words will drill into your head
You undergo the process then
You will do anything they say
They will have power over you
You will not question their authority
You know what they can do
[Chorus]
I shake my head, I don't know what to say
I see my chance to turn and walk away
I will not be a part of this romance
I just can't take that chance
Because I see my opportunity to shout
The last goodbye
I bet you never did expect
To have a big important name
They all will have exquisite taste
But everyone will look the same
You will be quickly photographed
You will be shot from every side
They'll teach you what you need to learn
Then they will take you for a ride
[Chorus]
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
The song is about breaking up with a girlfriend who has just signed a contract with a mainstream modeling agency.
This is such a great song.
Don't get hung up on the word romance, its not about a relationship. Its about people who are enthralled to a corporation or a big metaphorical machine, who buy into the propaganda and dress the part and repeat the company line. They become defined by their title or role and give their everything only to find out they were expendable all along. Buck the system, be defiant
At first, I thought this song was political and simply anti-authoritarian because of this verse : "You will do anything they say They will have power over you You will not question their authority You know what they can do"
But then, if you pay attention to the whole song, I think it has more to do with stardom and being signed on a major label. Especially when you look at the very last verse : "I bet you never did expect To have a big important name They all will have exquisite taste But everyone will look the same You will be quickly photographed You will be shot from every side They'll teach you what you need to learn Then they will take you for a ride "
What they are describing here is who stardom ends up ruining your freedom. Although there is a double meaning to the sentence "you will be shot from every side", I believe the first meaning is that of a photo shot, not a gun shot.
With this interpretation in mind, the rest of the song is pretty self-explanatory and makes sense.
"The last goodbye" would then refer to leaving and signing to an underground label.
But it could be in any kind of job where stardom is possible really... And that includes modeling agency. So TdyYrLove's interpretation could be possible too.
@foaLtaeM My bad... I meant "HOW stardom ends up ruining your freedom" not "who..."
this song is awesome.
i believe its about conspiracy theories. A guy is about to be killed by the government or some big company. So he's taking his last breath.
'you will be quickly photographed you will be shot from every side they'll teach you what you need to learn then they will take you for a ride'
on the other hand, the chorus might be about an end of relationship - taking the oportunity to break up before everything turns in a real mess.
'i shake my head i don't know what to say i see my chance to turn and walk away i will not be a part of this romance i just can't take that chance because i see my opportunity to shout the last goodbye'
cya