"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.
Empty factories to the east and all our waste
The shape of things that came show on the broken worker's face
To the west you'll find a silicon promised land
Where machines replace our minds for systematic profit plans
Course of human progress staggers like a drunk
Its steps are quick and heavy, and its mind is slow and blunt
I look for optimism, but I just don't know
Its seeds are planted in a poison place where nothing grows
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
One nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light
Plastic and florescent energy robbing us of sight
Set in our way, content with our decay
We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
Ever ask yourself, "Where's my place in this hell?"
But no one's there to tell you, 'cause they don't know that themselves
Well-rehearsed lines from our elated politicians
No longer offer solace, we can see the self-destruction
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
(Let's go)
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Static and division is increasing like a storm
We are shelter
We are forewarned
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
The shape of things that came show on the broken worker's face
To the west you'll find a silicon promised land
Where machines replace our minds for systematic profit plans
Course of human progress staggers like a drunk
Its steps are quick and heavy, and its mind is slow and blunt
I look for optimism, but I just don't know
Its seeds are planted in a poison place where nothing grows
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
One nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light
Plastic and florescent energy robbing us of sight
Set in our way, content with our decay
We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
Ever ask yourself, "Where's my place in this hell?"
But no one's there to tell you, 'cause they don't know that themselves
Well-rehearsed lines from our elated politicians
No longer offer solace, we can see the self-destruction
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
(Let's go)
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Static and division is increasing like a storm
We are shelter
We are forewarned
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
Lyrics submitted by emoJustin, edited by DannyFnCarey
Freeze Up Lyrics as written by Jesse Michaels David M Mello
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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,
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I absolutely love this song, everything about it is so awesome. I listen to it whenever I can. I suggest you hear it, definitly.
Yep. This song rules. "We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade." Greatness. OpIvy was great.
So true, so many great bands have covered this song too. The porkers, Reel Big Fish, etc. At warped this year it was a huge surprise when Area7 who were headlining the Australian leg played freeze up for their second last song, was pretty schmick
Yeeeehhh QUALITY song!
YEEEE!!!!! man this song kicks soooo much ass..... My fav OPIV tune.......pretty sad tho how true it actually is.
ahhhhhhh this song is so good. Op Ivy is just...right. I know if they had not broken up we would not have rancid...But seriously...OP IVY WE LOVE YOU.
also the hippos do a great cover of it. kinda goin into a little rap in it. good stuff.
this song is about the cold war(freeze up aka cold aka nuclear winter) which was still going on at the time it was written and the united states foreign policy. Its about how the U.S is hypocritical. fighting a war conquering and invading in the name of freedom. It is also very anti-capitalism as it jabs at consumers. It also says that revolution could be coming hence the line about the broken down worker.
This is one of my favorite Operation Ivy songs. The lyrics miss the spoken part during the bridge, though (the best part!):
Static and division is increasing like a storm! We are sheltered, we are forewarned! Nothing can be changed except ourselves! NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED EXCEPT OURSELVES!
my favorite passage from this song is:
one nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light plastic and fluorescent energy robbing us of sight set in our way, content with our decay we wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
great great great.