"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.
Kidnapped!
I was kidnapped.
I dreamed I was kidnapped.
By a guy with a moustache
And a chick with an eyepatch
Who though they could trade me back
For some quick cash.
But when they relayed the bargain
My family said,
"we'll pay half that"
the haggling went on for days,
The days went on for weeks
And weeks for years.
Riding in the trunk was never fun
But soon I plum ran out of tears.
They camped us in the woods
We cooked canned goods
They never threatened me with pain.
They treated cops politely
Driving nightly
Always using coded names.
So if slowly I could trust them
Dare I say it even love them
Who's to blame.
I learned my alphabet
And letterset while setting up
My latest ransom note.
They got me correspondence classes,
Got me glasses,
Gave me dropcloths in the cold.
My fondest memories
Are from my hostage crises
I know it's strange.
Although we got so close
You know they never even
Told me their real names.
I was kidnapped.
I dreamed I was kidnapped.
By a guy with a moustache
And a chick with an eyepatch
Who though they could trade me back
For some quick cash.
But when they relayed the bargain
My family said,
"we'll pay half that"
the haggling went on for days,
The days went on for weeks
And weeks for years.
Riding in the trunk was never fun
But soon I plum ran out of tears.
They camped us in the woods
We cooked canned goods
They never threatened me with pain.
They treated cops politely
Driving nightly
Always using coded names.
So if slowly I could trust them
Dare I say it even love them
Who's to blame.
I learned my alphabet
And letterset while setting up
My latest ransom note.
They got me correspondence classes,
Got me glasses,
Gave me dropcloths in the cold.
My fondest memories
Are from my hostage crises
I know it's strange.
Although we got so close
You know they never even
Told me their real names.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
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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.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
its about being kidnapped. duh. i fucking love this song
does anyone kind of relate this song to their relationships with their parents - how they take care of you, but you never funny know them?
but when they relayed the bargain my family said, "we'll pay half that"
how sad is that? i love this song,
QUINZE> i kinda agree. especially with the line: "altho we got so close, you know they never even thold me their real names" you just know them as mum & dad, so you can't really know that much about them? either way, i love it.
I relate on a 'my parents being frugal with ransoms' kind of level
My favourite Les Savy Fav song. From memory i think this song was based on a dream harrington had one night. Whether or not this holds any real truth to harringtons relationship with his parents, i think people out there can definately relate to these lyrics.
PS - Aren't his play of words, phrases and rhymes just outstanding! (this goes for all LSF songs)
This song is great. I love Les Savy Fav! My parents would probably only pay half a ransom to get me back too.
This song is about being raised by s&m parents.
I actually had to creat an account to say this. To me the guy with the moustache and the chick with an eyepatch became his "adopted parents" for a time. Who he loved possibly more than his real parents. or maybe the song is just about having a relationship with adoptive parents.
No actually, whats going on here is Stockholme syndrome, the psychological phenemona where captives grow attached to their kidnappers.
its about a dream about being kidnapped