"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.
You fucked yourself
And you don't know where to go
Split wide open like a sturgeon for the row
Blood was splashed on pure white snow
You fucked yourself
And you're looking for the go
Drown in your sink
Condemned if you float
You placed the blame but missed the boat
You fucked yourself
You chose your fate
You changed your mind
When it's too late
Your self-deceit, your worst mistake
And you don't know where to go
Split wide open like a sturgeon for the row
Blood was splashed on pure white snow
You fucked yourself
And you're looking for the go
Drown in your sink
Condemned if you float
You placed the blame but missed the boat
You fucked yourself
You chose your fate
You changed your mind
When it's too late
Your self-deceit, your worst mistake
Lyrics submitted by sweet_heart_fever
You Fucked Yourself Lyrics as written by Samuel J. Coomes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
Wow. Quasi kicks ass.
always fucking loved this song.
i think it's "looking for the GOAT" and "drown IF you sink". I guess I could be wrong I haven't listened in awhile.
Anyway Sam seems pretty bitter about a choice someone has made...
Full corrected lyrics:
You fucked yourself And you don't know where to go Split wide open like a sturgeon for the roe Blood red splashed on pure white snow
You fucked yourself And you're looking for the goat Drown if you sink Condemned if you float You placed the blame but missed the boat
You fucked yourself You chose your fate You changed your mind When it's too late Self-deceit's your worst mistake
-- Roe are fish eggs, like caviar. This is one of my all-time favorite albums; this song is just one of the many reasons why.
I'm not sure what the whole song together means exactly, but the part:
Drown if you sink Condemned if you float
is a reference to the way it was decided if someone was a 'witch' way back when. They'd throw some poor person into a lake or a river and if they floated they were a witch, and thus be condemned to death, and if they sank they were innocent, but they'd generally end up dying anyway. So they're saying again that whatever the person does at this point will end badly anyway.