"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.
Throw away the radio
Suitcase that keeps you awake
Hide the telephone, the telephone, telephone in case
You realize that sometimes you're just not okay
You level off, you level off, you level off
But it's not alright now
You need to understand
There's nothing strange about this
You need to know your friends
You need to know that
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
Throw away this very old shoelace
That tripped you again
Try and shrug it off, shrug it off, shrug it off
It's only skin now
You need to understand
There's nothing fake about this
You need to let me in
I'm watching you and
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
No one's around
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (la, la, la, la)
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here
Suitcase that keeps you awake
Hide the telephone, the telephone, telephone in case
You realize that sometimes you're just not okay
You level off, you level off, you level off
But it's not alright now
You need to understand
There's nothing strange about this
You need to know your friends
You need to know that
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
Throw away this very old shoelace
That tripped you again
Try and shrug it off, shrug it off, shrug it off
It's only skin now
You need to understand
There's nothing fake about this
You need to let me in
I'm watching you and
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
No one's around
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (la, la, la, la)
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Personally, I believe this song is about someone going through self-injury (cutting possibly) and the friend that's trying to get them through it. I think the SI'er doesn't want anyone to know what's going on, which makes sense, since the world does not accept cutting or other forms of self-harm as reasonable or sane coping mechanisms. "Throw away the very old shoelace that tripped you again. Shrug it off, it's only skin." Many self injurers lie how they hurt themselves when people notice their wounds, such as running into doors, falling, etc. ("As Clumsy as you've been, there's no one laughing.") However the friend isn't falling for it, and knows "there's nothing fake about this," and he wants to be "let in," or know how that person is feeling. But the fact still remains that the friend is on the outside, waving his hands happily, not because the friend doesn't care, but because the SI'er won't let him know what's wrong(pretending his life is just fine), even though the friend already knows. He's calling his bluff basically. I also get this idea because Automatic Flowers is on the same cd, and many believe it too is also about self-injury.
The whole song is built around the image of somone drowning and waving for help, but their friends on the shore just wave back.
Agreed. It's the chorus and the song is very melancholy.
@egoat711 love that analogy, how instead of using his hand to help he's just using it to wave. I still take it like it's about a friend who has suicidal tendencies and doesn't realize there are friends around to help if they want it, or wave goodbye if they don't. In the end there has to be the realization that there is a choice to be made and there are options one way or another (hence the lines 'maybe you should sleep' versus 'maybe you just need a friend')
I used to think of this song in a negative way, the people watching the person in trouble drown, but making no move to help him. I've done a lot of thinking about this song, and I think what it comes down to is that, the speaker (singer, whoever) doesn't know how to help his "drowning" friend so he just waits on the shore for his friend to come to him to talk. The speaker wants his friend to know that he's there for him, when he's ready. At least, that's what I think.
Tenacious Joe, the song "Little Things" is by Good Charlotte.
AS in: if you try to help someone who is drowning, they will take you down with them.<br /> <br /> i had not thought about that... :)
the way I see it is, someone is having a serious problem and is deeply depressed and the singer is saying that it isn't uncommon, that I know what your going through but there is nothing I can do about it but watch and let you know that i'm here. Thats what it means to me at least.
It is a wonderful song by under-rated band.
this is one of the first OLP songs i head, and i think that sickntwistd is right, about it being about someone going down the wrong path. it means alot to me, b/c at one point in my life i was going down the wrong path, and my friend got me into this band, and was there for me, and the more i listened to the music, the more personal it became to me, and i was able to relate to OLP's songs. i just needed a friend, just like in the song, and i found one, in my friend, and in OLP.
A friend keeps fucking up their life and fucking you over and finally you just say, fuck it, fine, if that's how you want to be then do it.
Maybe one day that guy will have a friend as "clumsy" with their own life and their friendship and learn a lesson.
The start of the song refers to one throwing away the radio, suitcase, etc. that keeps one awake. I feel that his is reality, when someone chooses not to listen to those around them...such as friends or family because they do not like what they are saying, even if they are correct, right, or looking out for your best interests.
The speaker is disagreeing with what the person is doing and is a true friend. So much of a friend that s/he is stepping back and not enabling the individual, such as in the case of drug abusers or addicts. The speaker is saying that you need to understand, there's nothing strange about this...I am your true friend and I will be waving my hand watching you drown, scream, no one's around. The speaker is referring to the "clumsy" behavior of the person that is/as pushed everyone away.
However the degree of "tough love" given by the speaker, s/he also tells the person that s/he needs to "let me in" and that "you should sleep," "you just need a friend," etc. These are all examples of the speaker extending out, but if and only if the clumsy behavior stops because as they speaker mentions there's no one laughing and the shoe lace that keeps tripping the person can be seen as the habit and/or excuse that s/he keeps using.
i love this song, when i was little they were my favorite
egoat711, i think its more than that. it's about seeing things in general but not seeing it for what they really are. People should think more and question things.