"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.
[Chorus:]
Sister Psychic won't you tell me does it ever get better
Can you really see the future or just predict the weather
Are we in our finest hour or headed for disaster
Use your super powers and rescue me
We were there at the start we've got Polaroids to prove it
Skateboards and scars and embarrassing home movies
But if you really want to see where it's all going
Switch on your TV she's all telling, all knowing
She knows everything
Can you help us find the ones on the missing posters
Is my baby being true, am I doing what I'm supposed to
Could you help me find my keys or better yet life's meaning
Are those tarot or dialogue cards that you're reading
Come on
Tell me everything
Sister, why would I tell you my deepest, dark secrets
So you could take my diary and rip it all to pieces
Just $6.95 for the very fist minute
I think you've won the lottery that's my prediction
You know everything
Sister Psychic won't you tell me does it ever get better
Can you really see the future or just predict the weather
Are we in our finest hour or headed for disaster
Use your super powers and rescue me
We were there at the start we've got Polaroids to prove it
Skateboards and scars and embarrassing home movies
But if you really want to see where it's all going
Switch on your TV she's all telling, all knowing
She knows everything
Can you help us find the ones on the missing posters
Is my baby being true, am I doing what I'm supposed to
Could you help me find my keys or better yet life's meaning
Are those tarot or dialogue cards that you're reading
Come on
Tell me everything
Sister, why would I tell you my deepest, dark secrets
So you could take my diary and rip it all to pieces
Just $6.95 for the very fist minute
I think you've won the lottery that's my prediction
You know everything
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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."
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.
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.
ya this song is alrite
Well, what else can I say? Love this song.
this song is making fun of mrs. cleo and all those other bullshit tv scams like it.
I think this song is actually more about a bad relationship where the singer thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him than about Ms. Cleo. I believe it just uses Ms. Cleo as a theme.
"Sister Psychic won't you tell me does it ever get better Can you really see the future or just predict the weather"
This part fits the Ms. Cleo theme, of course, and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
"Are we in our finest hour or headed for disaster Use your super powers and rescue me"
This does, too, obviously, but instead of thinking the first line is something about a literal disaster, I think it's about his relationship.
"We were there at the start we've got Polaroids to prove it Skateboards and scars and embarrassing home movies"
Him and his girlfriend have pictures of their first time meeting, and perhaps they met at a skate park where neither of them knew how to skate, hence the scars and embarrassing movies.
"But if you really wanna see where it's all goin' Switch on your T.V. she's all tellin' all known' She knows everything"
Perhaps the singer decides to call Ms. Cleo or another phone psychic to see if he can fix his relationship.
"Can you help us find the ones on the missing posters Is my baby being true, am I doin' what I'm supposed to"
The singer is the one who is lost, in his relationship. He thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him (as expressed in the second line), and isn't sure if it's because of what he's doing.
"Could you help me find my keys or better yet lifes meaning Are those tarot or dialogue cards that you're reading C'mon tell me everything"
The singer possibly finds out that the phone pyschics are just a scam. They aren't predicting the future, and they can't answer anything simple, even "where are my keys". They are just reading dialogue, not tarot.
"Sister why would I tell you my deepest dark secrets So you could take my diary and rip it all to pieces"
The singer and his girlfriend get into an arguement - now he feels there is no point telling her all of the secrets in his life, because she will just make fun of him or use them against him.
"Just $6.95 for the very first minute I think you've won the lottery that's my prediction"
Perhaps the character divorces his wife/girlfriend, and she wins a lot of money in the court proceedings? Or maybe it's just another shot at Ms. Cleo for giggles, I'm not sure on this one.
Either way, this is just my take on the song. :)