"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.
I want to see you sometime
Come find me I'll be home
Just between the Costco
And the Barnes and Noble
Behind the mom and pop grocery
Shut down in the nineties
Like all the other locals
They smashed the dreams of the hopeful
I'm getting off track sorry
So like I said right in there
There was a Frederick Meyers
Sold everything from fruit to tires
Check in with the doorman
And old biker named Slim
Say you're here to see me
Don't forget to tip him
One hand must wash the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Just hang out at Fred Meyers
Bring a lantern with you
It gets dark in places
Go up the escalator
To the section that was kidswear
I'm at the back wall left side
Under a sign that says Levi's
Top bunk second row
If I'm not in right then ask around somebody'll know
'Cause everybody knows me here
One hand must was the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Just hang out at Fred Meyers
We'll go out babe, skateboarding
Go looting, food hoarding
Do whatever you desire
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
One hand must wash the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
We'll go out babe, drink moonshine
Tip rubble on the east side
Dig deep holes to China
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
Why don't we just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers?
Come find me I'll be home
Just between the Costco
And the Barnes and Noble
Behind the mom and pop grocery
Shut down in the nineties
Like all the other locals
They smashed the dreams of the hopeful
I'm getting off track sorry
So like I said right in there
There was a Frederick Meyers
Sold everything from fruit to tires
Check in with the doorman
And old biker named Slim
Say you're here to see me
Don't forget to tip him
One hand must wash the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Just hang out at Fred Meyers
Bring a lantern with you
It gets dark in places
Go up the escalator
To the section that was kidswear
I'm at the back wall left side
Under a sign that says Levi's
Top bunk second row
If I'm not in right then ask around somebody'll know
'Cause everybody knows me here
One hand must was the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Just hang out at Fred Meyers
We'll go out babe, skateboarding
Go looting, food hoarding
Do whatever you desire
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
One hand must wash the other
Each man must be a brother
Band up and take cover
We'll go dancing, set fires
Tag buildings, slash tires
Drive go-karts like shriners
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
We'll go out babe, drink moonshine
Tip rubble on the east side
Dig deep holes to China
Or we can just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers
Why don't we just stay in my bed at Fred Meyers?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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."
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.
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.
Actually, it's about living communally in a gutted department store after the collapse of civilization.
But you were close.