"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.
Join the skin army boys!
Join the skin army girls!
Camouflage your heart in sweat and vaseline!
Shoot with that siamese kiss like tasteless tangerines!
Skin army recruits form a single file line,
Under towers that smoke ulcers in the sky.
Remove outdated organs to the pot boil,
Suck the siphons nipple, fill the rib cavity with oil.
March on the grave of jesus sow!
Touch is the only religion now!
He tried to interview a rose but it just coughed dust in his eye.
He tried a love song on the lilac
But it stung up his mouth like a guitar.
He tried to devour the orchid (break it's cracker bones)
Sew a jacket of it's hot paradise complexion...
But it stung like a vest of scorpions
And hung on desperately like the scar of some third degree burn.
So join up juggernaut child!
Join up ye hungry barbed wire holes!
March on skin army soldiers!
March on to hills of ripe mold!
March on across the xeroxed horizon!
March on murderous little world!
March on murderous little world!
March on murderous little world!
Join the skin army girls!
Camouflage your heart in sweat and vaseline!
Shoot with that siamese kiss like tasteless tangerines!
Skin army recruits form a single file line,
Under towers that smoke ulcers in the sky.
Remove outdated organs to the pot boil,
Suck the siphons nipple, fill the rib cavity with oil.
March on the grave of jesus sow!
Touch is the only religion now!
He tried to interview a rose but it just coughed dust in his eye.
He tried a love song on the lilac
But it stung up his mouth like a guitar.
He tried to devour the orchid (break it's cracker bones)
Sew a jacket of it's hot paradise complexion...
But it stung like a vest of scorpions
And hung on desperately like the scar of some third degree burn.
So join up juggernaut child!
Join up ye hungry barbed wire holes!
March on skin army soldiers!
March on to hills of ripe mold!
March on across the xeroxed horizon!
March on murderous little world!
March on murderous little world!
March on murderous little world!
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
A lot of posers are jumping on TBB now, makes me want a spiked leather glove and backhand them all back to the boy band fan clubs they came from. Or a Shotgun. TBB are an amazing band and have been for as long as I can remember..I heart this song. The screamo-ish-ness is lovely.