"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.
[Aesop Rock]
January, I fell to the cobblestone
In April, I cut little paper flowers
In August, I drank cold tea all my lonesome
In October, I was introduced to scourers
I love New York Saturdays
But Mondays last longer
And since I plan to live a long life
Maybe I'll serve a thousand Mondays and swallow the burn
To merge the week for all its got
To get my shoddy rotten ribs stick, forgot my ribs
I got a lil' something called a spirit crisis on my skull
And it's nothing short of ferocious but I swallowed the dosage
I got a mantle, and the mantle is a candle
And my candle is a flame that burns to symbolize the day Gretel met Hansel
Then I settle in a stand still
I live forever reaching for the sun
Hoping some lucky day I'll clutch and get a hand full
Rope ladder, I'm a swinging anvil
And I want to turn scullies and summings with pretty lullabye, bye
The way my gypsy dances makes a monster retreat to fetal
I never felt so damn young
But you don't look a day over zero
And you don't look a day in the times 'cause it'll make you realize
The night is near so
Well then go, dream, I clean around the edges
I tidy up the tabletop, and lectured all the pledges
I never really knew the true definition of precious
Till my angel wit the beautiful red locks gave me the message
I'm a fully animated life tree
See the root of the mute button was dug up bug up on a song
Of I'm a fully animated life tree
With branches for the heavens to admire actually
Chorus [Woman speaking]
Fame, war, love, honor, crime, innocence, tragedy, sunshine
Cringe, death, passion, heroism, God, suffering, joy, fate
Destiny, treasure, stars, gall, hunger, murder, silence, mayhem
Health, pain, suspense, breath, sound, guilt, pride, time
[Aesop Rock]
We all know what a halo is
But we all don't know the horrors if your halo tips
I be the matador making your pretty little heels click
I be the Sword in the Stone of the contemporary eclipse
I'm incredibly exhausted
You can't imagine, got my warm spirit stuck in my teeth, I'm obsolete
Freedom freedom freedom fighter beginning
Better stay competitive, meter in such to bust, fuckin fantastic
Every little steps you take breaks the tangles
In the chest, developed in the abomidable trouble
Settle for a cruel second, loud for an hour
Screamin to the beats to leave until my whole weekend turns sour
I ain't been around the world but I been around the block
I ain't seen everything but I seen enough to talk
I ain't a prophet, I ain't the Second Coming of Christ
I'm just a mason with a will to build and a little advice
I want to weave a web, I want to set of knitting needles
Villain with a theme dream silent
Paddle in the hole divy to where the portraits astonish
You won't regret a single solitary step, I promise
Look, in a situation where a dragon guards the gate
I make a true spur of the moment grown decision
Which in turn allows me to be something normal
With the prefix of the abbot
I can kill every monster if I gotta, that's that
Rockin it, rockin it, clippership rockin it
Be the little guinea pig, dig?
I'm tryin to make an exit with no ripples in the water
No splash, let the poison slide down down the hatch
It's like that
Chorus 2x
January, I fell to the cobblestone
In April, I cut little paper flowers
In August, I drank cold tea all my lonesome
In October, I was introduced to scourers
I love New York Saturdays
But Mondays last longer
And since I plan to live a long life
Maybe I'll serve a thousand Mondays and swallow the burn
To merge the week for all its got
To get my shoddy rotten ribs stick, forgot my ribs
I got a lil' something called a spirit crisis on my skull
And it's nothing short of ferocious but I swallowed the dosage
I got a mantle, and the mantle is a candle
And my candle is a flame that burns to symbolize the day Gretel met Hansel
Then I settle in a stand still
I live forever reaching for the sun
Hoping some lucky day I'll clutch and get a hand full
Rope ladder, I'm a swinging anvil
And I want to turn scullies and summings with pretty lullabye, bye
The way my gypsy dances makes a monster retreat to fetal
I never felt so damn young
But you don't look a day over zero
And you don't look a day in the times 'cause it'll make you realize
The night is near so
Well then go, dream, I clean around the edges
I tidy up the tabletop, and lectured all the pledges
I never really knew the true definition of precious
Till my angel wit the beautiful red locks gave me the message
I'm a fully animated life tree
See the root of the mute button was dug up bug up on a song
Of I'm a fully animated life tree
With branches for the heavens to admire actually
Chorus [Woman speaking]
Fame, war, love, honor, crime, innocence, tragedy, sunshine
Cringe, death, passion, heroism, God, suffering, joy, fate
Destiny, treasure, stars, gall, hunger, murder, silence, mayhem
Health, pain, suspense, breath, sound, guilt, pride, time
[Aesop Rock]
We all know what a halo is
But we all don't know the horrors if your halo tips
I be the matador making your pretty little heels click
I be the Sword in the Stone of the contemporary eclipse
I'm incredibly exhausted
You can't imagine, got my warm spirit stuck in my teeth, I'm obsolete
Freedom freedom freedom fighter beginning
Better stay competitive, meter in such to bust, fuckin fantastic
Every little steps you take breaks the tangles
In the chest, developed in the abomidable trouble
Settle for a cruel second, loud for an hour
Screamin to the beats to leave until my whole weekend turns sour
I ain't been around the world but I been around the block
I ain't seen everything but I seen enough to talk
I ain't a prophet, I ain't the Second Coming of Christ
I'm just a mason with a will to build and a little advice
I want to weave a web, I want to set of knitting needles
Villain with a theme dream silent
Paddle in the hole divy to where the portraits astonish
You won't regret a single solitary step, I promise
Look, in a situation where a dragon guards the gate
I make a true spur of the moment grown decision
Which in turn allows me to be something normal
With the prefix of the abbot
I can kill every monster if I gotta, that's that
Rockin it, rockin it, clippership rockin it
Be the little guinea pig, dig?
I'm tryin to make an exit with no ripples in the water
No splash, let the poison slide down down the hatch
It's like that
Chorus 2x
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
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."
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
you're both wrong
In October I was introduced as coward
I'll surf a thousand Mondays and swallow the burns to milk the week for all its got to give me shoddy rotten ribs. Thick forgot my ribs.
The way my gypsy dances makes a miser retreat to fetal.
So in a cold dream, I clean around the edges.
See the root of the mute button was dug up, hug up on a song of...
Dream, war, love, honor, crime, innocence, tragedy, sunshine Friendship, death, passion, heroism, God, suffering, joy, fate Destiny, treasure, stars, skull, hunger, murder, silence, mayhem Health, pain, space, breath, sound, guilt, pride, time
Subtle for a cool second. Loud for an hour.
Fiddling with a theme, dream solid
Paddle the hole-in-the-bottom dingy to where the portraits astonish