"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.
Afterglow in a distant row
The door is open and the lights are cold
The children come in here and they dare the ghost
Like a fire burning in a stone
Silent light in the theatre's sky
Phantom cigarette and a silent cry
The door swings open and it's cold outside
Run and hide, run and hide
They can still see him singing on the corner singing songs
That never fade away, fade into the kids that come along
Memory in a silent seat
Melody on a long retreat
Like an angel on a balcony
Like an angel on a balcony
The door is open and the lights are cold
The children come in here and they dare the ghost
Like a fire burning in a stone
Silent light in the theatre's sky
Phantom cigarette and a silent cry
The door swings open and it's cold outside
Run and hide, run and hide
They can still see him singing on the corner singing songs
That never fade away, fade into the kids that come along
Memory in a silent seat
Melody on a long retreat
Like an angel on a balcony
Like an angel on a balcony
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Angels on the Balcony Lyrics as written by Laura Davis Jimmy Destri
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
It's actually "Angels ON the Balcony," and it's about a theater
"...a distant row" - a row of seats.
"..long retreat" - the aisle down leading from the back to the front, "..singing on the corner" - this probably refers to Fred Astaire(?) in "Singing in the Rain", an old movie.
Most old theaters had balconies.
Love this song... very moody and ghostly. Evokes images of an empty (maybe abandoned) theater, possibly haunted by ghosts/memories, etc...
I agree with Capitalist; I also interpret the song to be about memories of a once great theater, probably an old movie palace. I imagine a beautiful old place that's in ruins, where kids sneak in and explore.
The "theater's sky" verse seems a reference to the little star lights (no longer working) and the painted clouds that some movies palaces had on the ceiling to give the audience the illusion that they were sitting outside.
I have lovely memories of the Fine Arts Theater in Chicago--very much like the movie theater described here (minus the star lights). I used to love sitting in the balcony of that theater when watching film.
one of my fave blondie tracks next to union city blues and dreaming - no idea what it means though - something about looking back at the long gone past. she has an incredible voice - real deep and husky on this one.
In the track by track notes for the box set Against The Odds, Jimmy Destri explained that the song is “…basically a recap of a local legend from a theater in Brooklyn… all the kids would tell a story about a ghost at the Loews 46th Street Theater. It was a greaser who got stabbed and died on the balcony.” cit. Last.fm
The first time I heard Angels on the Balcony, the preceding instrumental song sounded similar in style to the Beatles' "Wild Honey Pie." I felt "Angels on the Balcony" was about the Beatles, however, it took new meaning after Lennon's death. The song refers to an "Angel On the Balcony"; the first verse refers to an after-glow in a distant row--a Beatles Concert, perhaps? The "ghost" referred to in that verse could be John Lennon as well, because at that time the Beatles were gone, and John Lennon took up residence at the Dakota in NYC. The second verse with its ominous words "Silent light in the theatre's sky Phantom cigarette and a silent cry The door swings open and it's cold outside Run and hide, run and hide" could refer to the night Lennon was murdered. The song moves into Beatlesque riffs and then on to the break: "They can still see him singing on the corner, singing songs That never fade away, fade into the kids that come along" John Lennon's music along with all the Beatles' songs have done just that. The final verse "Memory in a silent seat Melody on a long retreat Like an angel on a balcony Like an angel on a balcony" refers to one angel although the title contains "Angels" It can't be denied that John Lennon's melody making is on a long retreat. Now for the cover art: The picture of the group depicts the appearance of more than one contemplating jumping (symbolizing the deep grief many of us felt at John Lennon's passing). The background skyline is 8th Avenue, where the Strawberry Fields Memorial now is. The guitars and coat look similar to what the Beatle once owned. The producer of the album is Michael Chapman. The murderer is Mark David Chapman. Very eerie co-incidence.