"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.
Ahem we are here today to mourn the loss
Of a punk ass motherfucker who thought he was the shit.
Turns out he was the shit a piece of shit.
You see this young hooligan wasn't afraid to die
So he put his life on the line to gain respect in his neighborhood.
Well the only respect he gets now
Is from the maggots and worms that are snacking on his dead ass.
[Chorus: x]
Life is over, death devour
Time has come for witching hour
Time for your family to dress up in black
Time for your coffin to ride in the back
Time for your enemies to laugh at your death
Time for the vultures to pick at what's left
Time for your homeboy to find a new clique
Time for your girlfriend to suck a new dick
Time for your brothers to fight over your car
Time for the world to forget who the fuck you are
(120 over 40 and falling fast, I can't get any vitals, I'm losing him, shit!)
Close your eyes, hold your breath, release the stress
let it out there's nothing left 'cause you're facing death
If you see God, send my blessings if He's up there
And tell that man how you spent your life here
Bust around the street, diesel smoke from the heat
And you're feeling weak, 'cause the lead got you going to sleep
It's getting deep, know your peeps? They gon' fuck your freak
In between the sheets in they face they drop the leaky leak
You hear the sirens, think about who was firing
See your partner blurry from the spark of the iron
Holding on to faith, want to survive to retaliate
Here comes the Reaper, it's Grim Reaper at your door awaits
Can you feel it? Pumping on your inner spirit,
Got you screaming out for Mommy Dearest
You want to live, keep on twitching, bluff spitting
Time ticking it's the hour for the witching
(Quit crying like a bitch, and die like a man, motherfucker!)
[Chorus: x4]
Time for you to lay dead while everybody stares
Time for the Reverend to front like he cares
Time for your body to rot in your tomb
Time for your sister to finally get your room
Time for your picture to fade on the wall
Time for your crew to hang out at the mall
Time for your boys to beat hoes and kick bass
While you sit in the dark, with maggots crawling on your face
(Put 50 more cc's in that IV and start CPR, I'm still not getting anything)
Bitches are backstabbers, or your inner friend bank grabbers
Reaching out just to get fatter
Thoughts of your soon-to-be wife and your phat ride
She's in the back seat, catching it from the backside
You wish you had some rum, feeling numb
Where the noise at? Losing it, where my boys at?
Hallucinate seeing caskets, your son a soon to be bastard
'cause you slipped and got blasted
Your ?? lies in your good times,
Ambulance 59 minutes later, now you're on a respirator
Get on this shit, you're losing consciousness
Man flashing, in your phat ride crashing
Unhappy family and it's costing black roses
Beer on the concrete, bones in your coffin
That's all you get, a lost soul on the trip
Times up, clock ticked, hour to be witched
(Looking at my Gucci, it's about that time, motherfucker)
[Chorus: x4]
Time to sit and cry about the fact that you're gone
Time to say fuck it, Nitro is on
Time for your people to clean out your place
Time for you love to go through your tin case
Time for your father to feel a little stress
Time for you step-dad to give a fuck less
Time for the world to keep spinning around
Even with you dead in the ground, motherfucker!
Time for your family to dress up in black
Time for your coffin to ride in the back
Time for your enemies to laugh at your death
Time for the vultures to pick at what's left
Time for your homeboy to find a new clique
Time for your girlfriend to suck a new dick
Time for your brothers to fight over your car
Time for the world to forget who the fuck you are
Of a punk ass motherfucker who thought he was the shit.
Turns out he was the shit a piece of shit.
You see this young hooligan wasn't afraid to die
So he put his life on the line to gain respect in his neighborhood.
Well the only respect he gets now
Is from the maggots and worms that are snacking on his dead ass.
[Chorus: x]
Life is over, death devour
Time has come for witching hour
Time for your family to dress up in black
Time for your coffin to ride in the back
Time for your enemies to laugh at your death
Time for the vultures to pick at what's left
Time for your homeboy to find a new clique
Time for your girlfriend to suck a new dick
Time for your brothers to fight over your car
Time for the world to forget who the fuck you are
(120 over 40 and falling fast, I can't get any vitals, I'm losing him, shit!)
Close your eyes, hold your breath, release the stress
let it out there's nothing left 'cause you're facing death
If you see God, send my blessings if He's up there
And tell that man how you spent your life here
Bust around the street, diesel smoke from the heat
And you're feeling weak, 'cause the lead got you going to sleep
It's getting deep, know your peeps? They gon' fuck your freak
In between the sheets in they face they drop the leaky leak
You hear the sirens, think about who was firing
See your partner blurry from the spark of the iron
Holding on to faith, want to survive to retaliate
Here comes the Reaper, it's Grim Reaper at your door awaits
Can you feel it? Pumping on your inner spirit,
Got you screaming out for Mommy Dearest
You want to live, keep on twitching, bluff spitting
Time ticking it's the hour for the witching
(Quit crying like a bitch, and die like a man, motherfucker!)
[Chorus: x4]
Time for you to lay dead while everybody stares
Time for the Reverend to front like he cares
Time for your body to rot in your tomb
Time for your sister to finally get your room
Time for your picture to fade on the wall
Time for your crew to hang out at the mall
Time for your boys to beat hoes and kick bass
While you sit in the dark, with maggots crawling on your face
(Put 50 more cc's in that IV and start CPR, I'm still not getting anything)
Bitches are backstabbers, or your inner friend bank grabbers
Reaching out just to get fatter
Thoughts of your soon-to-be wife and your phat ride
She's in the back seat, catching it from the backside
You wish you had some rum, feeling numb
Where the noise at? Losing it, where my boys at?
Hallucinate seeing caskets, your son a soon to be bastard
'cause you slipped and got blasted
Your ?? lies in your good times,
Ambulance 59 minutes later, now you're on a respirator
Get on this shit, you're losing consciousness
Man flashing, in your phat ride crashing
Unhappy family and it's costing black roses
Beer on the concrete, bones in your coffin
That's all you get, a lost soul on the trip
Times up, clock ticked, hour to be witched
(Looking at my Gucci, it's about that time, motherfucker)
[Chorus: x4]
Time to sit and cry about the fact that you're gone
Time to say fuck it, Nitro is on
Time for your people to clean out your place
Time for you love to go through your tin case
Time for your father to feel a little stress
Time for you step-dad to give a fuck less
Time for the world to keep spinning around
Even with you dead in the ground, motherfucker!
Time for your family to dress up in black
Time for your coffin to ride in the back
Time for your enemies to laugh at your death
Time for the vultures to pick at what's left
Time for your homeboy to find a new clique
Time for your girlfriend to suck a new dick
Time for your brothers to fight over your car
Time for the world to forget who the fuck you are
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
this song is actually a song with the Insane Clown Posse. im not even sure if myzery had a part to do in it.