"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.
Listen up everybody the bottom line
I'm a black intellect, but unrefined
With precision like a bullet, target bound
Just living like a hooker, the harlot sounds
Now when I say the harlot, you know I mean the hot
Heat of the equator, the brothers in the pot
Jah, lick, Jah, lick ya wind up ya hip
Draftin' of the poets, I'm the number seven pick
Licks, licks, licks boy pon your backside
Licks, licks, licks boy pon your backside
Listen to the fader, Shaheed lets it glide
Tip the earthly body
Heaven's on my side
Even in Santo Domingo
Can I gotta Gringo
Yo, we got mics, when do we go?
Know a little nigga who can rhyme when you ask me
Short, dark, and plus his voice is raspy
1 for the treble, 2 for the bass
You know the style Tip, now watch me rip this
I like my beats harder than two day old shit
Steady eating booty MC's like cheese grits
My man Al B. Sure, he's in effect mode
Used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue
It's not like honey dip would want to get with me
But just in case I own more condoms than TLC
Now the formula is this, me, Tip, and Ali
For those who can't count it goes 1-2-3
The answer, big up is how I be
Brothers find it's hard to do, but never me
Some brothers try to diss Malik
You see 'em bitchin'
Mi nuh care 'bout dem dibby MC
Trini gladiator, anti-hesitator
Shaheed push the fader from here to Grenada
Mister energetic
Who me, sound pathetic?
When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?
I don't know man, I don't know man, I don't know man
I don't know, I don't know
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Complimentary are we, the three for poetry
I got a humdinger coming hook, line and sinker
The Timbo hits with the prints underground
Timbo's on the toes, I like the way it's going down
Down like the lady of the evening
When it goes in hun just believe the sin
'Cause Queens is the county, Jamaica is the place
(Take off your boots 'cause you can't run the race)
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
The title "MC" means Master of Ceremony
Some people who MC, don't know what this term means
I'm a black intellect, but unrefined
With precision like a bullet, target bound
Just living like a hooker, the harlot sounds
Now when I say the harlot, you know I mean the hot
Heat of the equator, the brothers in the pot
Jah, lick, Jah, lick ya wind up ya hip
Draftin' of the poets, I'm the number seven pick
Licks, licks, licks boy pon your backside
Licks, licks, licks boy pon your backside
Listen to the fader, Shaheed lets it glide
Tip the earthly body
Heaven's on my side
Even in Santo Domingo
Can I gotta Gringo
Yo, we got mics, when do we go?
Know a little nigga who can rhyme when you ask me
Short, dark, and plus his voice is raspy
1 for the treble, 2 for the bass
You know the style Tip, now watch me rip this
I like my beats harder than two day old shit
Steady eating booty MC's like cheese grits
My man Al B. Sure, he's in effect mode
Used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue
It's not like honey dip would want to get with me
But just in case I own more condoms than TLC
Now the formula is this, me, Tip, and Ali
For those who can't count it goes 1-2-3
The answer, big up is how I be
Brothers find it's hard to do, but never me
Some brothers try to diss Malik
You see 'em bitchin'
Mi nuh care 'bout dem dibby MC
Trini gladiator, anti-hesitator
Shaheed push the fader from here to Grenada
Mister energetic
Who me, sound pathetic?
When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?
I don't know man, I don't know man, I don't know man
I don't know, I don't know
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Complimentary are we, the three for poetry
I got a humdinger coming hook, line and sinker
The Timbo hits with the prints underground
Timbo's on the toes, I like the way it's going down
Down like the lady of the evening
When it goes in hun just believe the sin
'Cause Queens is the county, Jamaica is the place
(Take off your boots 'cause you can't run the race)
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
Oh My God, yes, Oh My God
The title "MC" means Master of Ceremony
Some people who MC, don't know what this term means
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think these are the right lyrics:
Listen up everybody, the bottom line I'm a black intellect, but unrefined With precision like a bullet, target-bound Just living like a hooker, the harlot sounds Now when I say the harlot, you know I mean the hot Heat of the equator, the broth that's in the pot Jalick, Jalick, ya wind up ya hip Draftin of the poets, I'm the #7 pick Licks, licks, licks boy on your backside Licks, licks, licks boy on your backside Listen to the fader, Shaheed lets it glide Tip the earthly body Heaven's on my side Even in Santo Domingo When I got a Gringo We got mics, when do we go? Know a little nigga who can ryhme when you ask me Short, dark, and plus his voice is raspy
1 for the treble, 2 for the bass You know the style Tip, it's time to flip this I like my beats hard like two day old shit Steady eating booty MCs like cheese grits My man Al B., sure, he's in effect mode Used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue It's not like honey dip would want to get with me But just in case I own more condoms than TLC Now the formula is this: me, Tip, and Ali For those who can't count it goes: 1-2-3 The answer --- hey, big up is who I be Brothers find it's hard to do, but never me Some brothers try to diss but Malik You see'm bitching Me not care about them booty MCs, my shit is hittin Trini gladiator, anti-hesitator Shaheed push the fader from here to Grenada Mr. Energetic, who me, sound pathetic? When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic? I don't know, man I don't know, man I don't know, man I don't know, I don't know
Oh my God, yes! Oh my god
Complementary are we The three for poetry I got a humdinger coming hook, line and sinker The Timbo hoofs with the prints on the ground Timbos on the toes, I like the way it's going down Down like a lady of the evening When it goes in, toots, just believe it's in Cause Queens is the county, Jamaica is the place Take off your cleats 'cause you can't run the race
Oh my God, yes! Oh my god