"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.
Sweepin' the floors, open up the doors
Yeah turn on the lights, getting ready for the night
Nobody's romancing, 'cause it's too early for dancing
But here comes the music
Bright light's flashing
They cover up your lack of so many people
So many problems
So many reasons to buy another round
Drink it down
Just another night on the town
With the big man, money man, better then the other man
He got the plan, with the million dollar give a damn
What nobody understands
Become a smaller man, the bright lights keep flashin'
Women keep on dancing with the clowns,
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
They pick me up when I'm down,
Yeah, yeah,
The rodeo clowns
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
They pick me up when I'm down
The disco ball's spinnin', all the music and the women
And the shots of tequila,
Man they say that they need you
What they really need, is just a little room to breath
Teeny bopping disco queen
She barely understands her dreams of belly button rings
And other kinds of things
Symbolic of change, but the thing that is strange
Is that the changes occur
And now she's just a part of the herd
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Man I thought that you heard
Yeah, yeah
The changes occurred
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Just a part of the herd
Lights out, shut down, late night, wet ground
You walk by look at him, but he can't look at you
Yeah, you might feel pity, but he only feels the ground
You understand moves, but he only knows let down
By the corner, there's another one
Reaching out a hand, coming from a broken man
Well he tried to live, but he's done trying
Not dead, but definitely dying
With the rest of the clowns
Yeah, yeah
With the rest of the clowns
Sweepin' the floors, open up the doors,
Yeah turn on the lights, getting ready for the night
Nobody's romancing, 'cause it's too early for dancing
But here comes the music
Yeah turn on the lights, getting ready for the night
Nobody's romancing, 'cause it's too early for dancing
But here comes the music
Bright light's flashing
They cover up your lack of so many people
So many problems
So many reasons to buy another round
Drink it down
Just another night on the town
With the big man, money man, better then the other man
He got the plan, with the million dollar give a damn
What nobody understands
Become a smaller man, the bright lights keep flashin'
Women keep on dancing with the clowns,
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
They pick me up when I'm down,
Yeah, yeah,
The rodeo clowns
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
They pick me up when I'm down
The disco ball's spinnin', all the music and the women
And the shots of tequila,
Man they say that they need you
What they really need, is just a little room to breath
Teeny bopping disco queen
She barely understands her dreams of belly button rings
And other kinds of things
Symbolic of change, but the thing that is strange
Is that the changes occur
And now she's just a part of the herd
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Man I thought that you heard
Yeah, yeah
The changes occurred
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Just a part of the herd
Lights out, shut down, late night, wet ground
You walk by look at him, but he can't look at you
Yeah, you might feel pity, but he only feels the ground
You understand moves, but he only knows let down
By the corner, there's another one
Reaching out a hand, coming from a broken man
Well he tried to live, but he's done trying
Not dead, but definitely dying
With the rest of the clowns
Yeah, yeah
With the rest of the clowns
Sweepin' the floors, open up the doors,
Yeah turn on the lights, getting ready for the night
Nobody's romancing, 'cause it's too early for dancing
But here comes the music
Lyrics submitted by acheapairline
Rodeo Clowns Lyrics as written by Jack Hody Johnson
Lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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Great version of a great song,
Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Guys, Jack Johnson was not lead nor backup singer for G. Love. Accoring to what I read(and as G says in the introduction to the song), they went surfing one day and then Jack Johnson played this song for G and G dug it. They decided to record it. That's about it, they haven't collaborated on too much else musically. About the song, I don't Jack(if he indeed wrote the lyrics) is making any large statements condemning life at the bars. These rodeo clowns "bring him up when he's down". They cheer him up. The heart of the song, meaning wise, is when they leave the pub and see two homeless guys on the walk home-"You walk by look at him, but he can't look at you" and "down on the corner there's anther one. reaching out a hand, coming from a broken man." This sounds like G Love, as he often meantions the homeless in his songs("This Ain't Living", "City Bum", etc.). He's juxtaposing the "money man" at the club with the homeless man on the corner.
I love this song. It makes me want to go out to a club, especially lyrics like "nobody's romantic cuz its too early for dancing but he comes the music!"