"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.
It's a hopeless situation
And I'm starting to believe
That this hopeless situation
Is what I'm trying to achieve
But I try to run on
It's all or none
All or none
Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that our destinations
Are the ones we've been before?
I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
To myself, I surrender
To the one I'll never please
But I still try to run on
No, I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
And I'm starting to believe
That this hopeless situation
Is what I'm trying to achieve
But I try to run on
It's all or none
All or none
Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that our destinations
Are the ones we've been before?
I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
To myself, I surrender
To the one I'll never please
But I still try to run on
No, I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
Lyrics submitted by Stephen_Flow, edited by Mellow_Harsher
All or None Lyrics as written by Stone Gossard Eddie Vedder
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Lord Huron
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
I agree that it's about love. It's really easy to bring Bush into it if you want, and I can see the argument for it. The music, which is all important in Pearl Jam's level of maturity, seems to hint towards a more heart-felt song. I see it as an unrequited love as well, perhaps a newly unrequited love, though. Like the person he loves fell in love with him for a short time then fell apart again. Now he knows that it's all of love, or none. It's one of those situations where you either have all of it or none of it, there is no in between.
Love or life. Yours or Vedders's. It's all or none. For a person who's critical of himself.
I think we should always ask ourselves where we are, where we're going, And if we're unhappy about one aspect of our life, even if we tell ourselves sweet lies, if we try to run on, We can't escape our demons. Let's face them with perspicacity. Cause it's all or none.
I want this song to be played at my burial. Note only for the lyrics, but also the tension in it. Honestly. Incredible song.
I think this song is about a man who loves a girl, but she does not feel the same for him. He knows this but he loves her and tries to be with her anyway. He surrenders himself to her, but he knows the outcome. He knows that its a helpless situation, but he still tries. It's really a sad song.
war can be used as a metaphor though... war w/ a loved one... i think justiceforall303's comment is accurate.
Yeah, its about life. Going around in circles, having to fight the same battles over and over, but still trying to get away from them.
i think its about bush, like most of the album, written in his character.
alright, i think it's about Bush, too. Because of this part:
"here's the selfless confession leading me back to war can we help that our destinations are the ones we've been before? "
..about the ones who have been in war by Bush or died by Bush.
I love this song!
Like justiceforall said, I think it is about unrequited love, but I think it goes a bit deeper. I think it is about a friend in love with a friend.
CAN WE HELP THAT OUR DESTINATIONS ARE THE ONES WEVE BEEN BEFORE? I think this line means that they have already gone through conflict together as friends.
It's about life.
This songs sums up the current situation with my ex gf- see I love her but she doesn't love me. I was treated badly by her but I still stuck by he because i truly loved her. I kept asking her to go out with me or i'd ask her to think bout it but she never did lol...:( anyways- it means that to me