"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.
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
I want your neck
I want the seat that you sit at
I want your check
Because they told me I would get on
I want to chop off your head and watch it roll into the basket
If you should drop dead tonight then they won't have to ask me twice
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
They took me in the office and they told me very carefully
The way that I could benefit from death and disability
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
I want your company car
I want your girlfriend and love
I want your place at the bar
Because there's always another man
To chop off your head and watch it roll into the basket
If you should drop dead tonight then they won't have to ask me twice
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
I want your neck
I want the seat that you sit at
I want your check
Because they told me I would get on
I want to chop off your head and watch it roll into the basket
If you should drop dead tonight then they won't have to ask me twice
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
They took me in the office and they told me very carefully
The way that I could benefit from death and disability
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
I want your company car
I want your girlfriend and love
I want your place at the bar
Because there's always another man
To chop off your head and watch it roll into the basket
If you should drop dead tonight then they won't have to ask me twice
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
It's a breath you took too late
It's a death that's worse than fate
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
Though it may be second hand
It's by no means second rate
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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,
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.
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.
Are these merely the lyrics Costello submitted for the lyric sheet?
I want your neck I want the seat that you sit at I want your check Because they told me I would get on
If so, he was particularly clever getting past Standards and Practices (or whatever the censor at a major record label is called). ‘Cause it sounds more as if he’s singing:
I want your dick [...] I want your chick
Not as if it isn’t clear enough, either way: all this is about more than wanting to get it up higher on the company ladder.
@mandc You need to have your ears checked!