"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.
We see the billboard girl
The one devoted to ritual
Standing in the rain
Holding all of her pain inside
I know you're hurting now
But I can't point my finger at
The words I should or shouldn't say
Anything
To take the pain away
To walk alone on the streets tonight
And fear nothing
To choose to love what we are in this life
And shine brighter
Don't let the crosses and dollar signs
The symbols of man unkind
Make you feel
That you're not real
All this time walk out
Out of the shadows
We see the lines in chalk
The warning sign for where we walk
In the shadows of the cities maze
To try and fight
For better days
Yeah we're ungrateful
Yeah we're ungrateful for
Holy books, religious men
Values of beauty, original sin
All this time we unwind it
I won't give up, I'm not afraid
Resister go
As long as it takes
To reverse the hypocrisy
Challenge the stakes
Of safety and survival
At the heart
Of women's voices
Women's art
To walk alone on the streets tonight
And fear nothing
To choose to love what we are in this life
All that matters
Don't let the crosses and dollar signs
The symbols of man unkind
I won't give up
Through all this time walk out
Out of the shadows
If we take
Our strength
To market
To trade
For their
Ugly
Beauty
Watch us
Grow up
To war
No more
The one devoted to ritual
Standing in the rain
Holding all of her pain inside
I know you're hurting now
But I can't point my finger at
The words I should or shouldn't say
Anything
To take the pain away
To walk alone on the streets tonight
And fear nothing
To choose to love what we are in this life
And shine brighter
Don't let the crosses and dollar signs
The symbols of man unkind
Make you feel
That you're not real
All this time walk out
Out of the shadows
We see the lines in chalk
The warning sign for where we walk
In the shadows of the cities maze
To try and fight
For better days
Yeah we're ungrateful
Yeah we're ungrateful for
Holy books, religious men
Values of beauty, original sin
All this time we unwind it
I won't give up, I'm not afraid
Resister go
As long as it takes
To reverse the hypocrisy
Challenge the stakes
Of safety and survival
At the heart
Of women's voices
Women's art
To walk alone on the streets tonight
And fear nothing
To choose to love what we are in this life
All that matters
Don't let the crosses and dollar signs
The symbols of man unkind
I won't give up
Through all this time walk out
Out of the shadows
If we take
Our strength
To market
To trade
For their
Ugly
Beauty
Watch us
Grow up
To war
No more
Lyrics submitted by standardarmy
Chalkline Lyrics as written by Joseph Wallace Sam Cooke
Lyrics © Abkco Music Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"we see the lines in chalk the warning sign for where we walk"
For me, this seems like a song about murder, just for these two lines. When someone is murdered, their body is usually outlined in chalk and most people avoid that area, sensing danger.
"at the heart of women's voices women's art"
Here, I see the rape victim part. I'm going to guess rape/murder victims is what the song is about from the lines so far.
"watch us grow up to war"
Signifying violence, I'm guessing. The rape theory isn't neccasarily supported by this, but the murder is.
I'm going to guess that the song is about women raped and then murdered in the city. I'll probably change my mind after I listen to the song a few more times.
this is a great song, even if i cant really relate to it as good as....oohhh say, deciding from savestheday, but its still a great song
such strong lyrics...i love it.
these lyrics are so artistic i love it, living in so-cal i think i can most relate to "don't let the crosses and dollar signs the symbols of man unkind make you feel that you're not real" gives me the chills
i just saw these guys tonite and the singer said this song was about rape victims....
okay, so my question is. when i saw them. they called this song something else. like something about red...savior of red? Eh, i was just wondering if anyone knew anything about that 'cause i thought it was odd. anyway, awesome song. one of my favorites by them.
I always thought this song had a little bit more to do with rape and just the general opression of women in society... like "the billboard girl" the idea that society tells us how to look and how to be thin and pretty... and "to choose to love what we are in this life and shine brighter" it's somthing a lot of women cannot because of the insecurites our society has forced us to have... I can really relate to this song a lot..
I really like this song. I think they did a good job of mixing in the keys (i'm pretty sure its keys that sounds like a woodwind sorta). The song is actaully kind of refreshing and after reading the other post I relised it really is about rape victims. Just wondering but do they have a non-acoustic version of this song?
Thomas is a lyrical genious
this is the best fucking song i have ever heard, souch amazing and touching lyrics, fuken talented band