"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.
This song goes out to all the hopeless sinners,
With grave allegiances so meaningless and vain
The walking wounded,in a pageant of contenders,
Who balance on a rail of pain just for a pail of rain.
And everything, is barely mist- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
In my rectory of doubt I kneel to pray like one devout.
As time the great grey dreamless sleep of a modern useless modern God
Erodes away each storied day as wretched Adams with hell to pay.
Content upon a rail of pain for just a little rain.
And everything is dearly missed- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
There's an endless disposition and it doesn't mean a god damn thing.
There's space for a paper airplane race in the eye of a hurricane.
And if pigs could fly then surely so could I.
But this pedestrian knows better than to even try.
My divinity is caught between the colors of a butterfly
And everything is dearly missed- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
All there is?
With grave allegiances so meaningless and vain
The walking wounded,in a pageant of contenders,
Who balance on a rail of pain just for a pail of rain.
And everything, is barely mist- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
In my rectory of doubt I kneel to pray like one devout.
As time the great grey dreamless sleep of a modern useless modern God
Erodes away each storied day as wretched Adams with hell to pay.
Content upon a rail of pain for just a little rain.
And everything is dearly missed- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
There's an endless disposition and it doesn't mean a god damn thing.
There's space for a paper airplane race in the eye of a hurricane.
And if pigs could fly then surely so could I.
But this pedestrian knows better than to even try.
My divinity is caught between the colors of a butterfly
And everything is dearly missed- blood relations and bricks.
My expression, my confession
Add it up, extract a lesson more than this
Once again, like a bullet, as a friend tell me
Can that be all there is?
All there is?
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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 think that this song is an attack on the ignorance of many people. I think the " can that be all there is" part is like saying " is that all there is to your point", talking about the shallowness to most people's arguements and reasoning. I think onece again they are hitting on religion and the lack of eveidence behind it, yet despite this many people choose to follow it and allow it to rule their lives, whilst not really focusing on the real troubles in life. Basically it is a call for people to think through their reasoning, "And if pigs could fly, surely so could I But this pedestrian knows better than to even try" It's like people don't attempt to fly because they know they can't and it is impossible, yet believing in god's existance is something people do without really looking behind it.
like the title, I think its about all there is. there has to be life outside of everything man has created. think about what life would be like if it wasnt like this. if peace ruled instead of people. just think about what we have created
intrigued.punk is goddamn right. And in reality you see that shit all over the place. People blindly follow and believe in 'god', never questioning his existence no matter how profoundly insipid the vestige is. People never see the real problems in life because they're blindly following the tragic laws and selfish ideals of religion.
Yeah I sort of agree with Safety. There is of course religious distraction as well, and the Christians who believe that the world was made for them to serve God, only to begin and end with the human race. Could this be all there is? Is a question that calls attention to the existential idea that everything is significant. With "atoms" and "butterflys", how could the Cultural doctrine of faith, society, and humanity be "All there is?" We are only a whisper in time....
This song, along with Sorrow, is what got me into songwriting, (which then turned to poetry). Brilliant, brilliant. There best song ever.
"There’s an endless disposition, and it doesn’t mean a goddamn thing— there’s space for a paper-airplane race in the eye of a hurricane.
And if pigs could fly, then surely so could I, but this pedestrian knows better than to even try, and my divinity is caught between the colors of a butterfly. " ^ Best verse(s) ever. End of story. I think this is more about is life all there is, is this all there is, like, is this emptiness, this pain, this world full of hate, all that there is? Like, the part in about pigs being able to fly, maybe talking about how the greedy get all the good things, while those with morals are always kept down. THE MAN IS BRINGIN' US DOWN, DUDE! But...seriously.
I enjoy this band as much as I do beating my head against the wall, because it feels so good when I stop.
I just want to point out that this was writen by Mr. Brett. Not greg graffin.
poor brett never gets credit for his genious songs.
I think it's fairly easy to tell whether Greg or Brett wrote the lyrics. Greg's tend to be more cerebral, Brett's more emotional/personal. Not an absolute, but a general trend.
This song goes out to all the hopeless sinners, with grave allegiances, so meaningless and vain,
The walking wounded, in a pageant of contenders Who balance on a rail of pain for a pail of rain And everything is barely mist - blood relations and bricks My expression, my confession Add it up, extract a lesson more than this Once again, like a bullet as a friend tell me Can that be all there is? In my rectory of doubt, I kneel to pray like on devout As the great gray dreamless sleep, of a uselss modern god Erodes away each storied day, as wretched Adam's with hell to pay Content upon a rail of pain just a little rain And everything is dearly missed - blood relations and bricks My expression, my confession Add it up, extract a lesson more than this Once again, like a bullet as a friend tell me Can that be all there is? There's an endless disposition, and it doesn't mean a goddamn thing There's space for a paper airplane race in the eye of a hurricane And if pigs could fly, surely so could I But this pedestrian knows better than to even try My divinity is caught between the colors of a butterfly And everything is dearly missed - blood relations and bricks My expression, my confession Add it up, extract a lesson more than this Once again, like a bullet as a friend tell me Can that be all there is?
Those are the real lyrics...out of the CD booklet the rail of pain/pail of rain line is fucking brilliant....not that you should expect any less from Graffin. As is the part about the hurricane 20/10...congrats Greg, BR'S true comeback album after that seemingly never ending stint with Atlantic, with which only one good album was done Gray Race
@gofuckyourself this song was written by Mr.Brett, not Greg
intrigued_punk, I think you have half of it.
Even after eliminating religion and blind faith, you're left with questions about the nature of the world and a search for meaning. The singer has already rejected blind faith and he's still looking.
I figured this song was written by Brett...His lyrics are so weird. But amazing, all the same.
I agree with Safety, defintely. Great song.
I think this is a more personal song. Think less about others and more about yourself when you look at these lyrics. Think about your own life, the days when you realize that your actions have turned into a pattern that you follow obediently whilst thinking, "Can that be all there is?" I feel that this is one of BR's more personal songs where they are supposed to touch you in a certain way such as Along The Way. I think there are also elements of contemplating suicide and your own mortality in a life that seems to just drone on. "like a bullet as a friend".
I realize that that particular explanation sounds slightly Emo, but keep in mind that what separates Emo, as we know it, and Punk is that Emo deals with feeling sorry for yourself while Punk tried to put life in a perspective where you understand what is wrong and, in turn, figure out how to fix it.