"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.
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
American shopping malls,
Where a product is sold and bought here,
Euthanizing the public,
While the dead walk the escalators,
They come from the loudspeakers,
They hear a subliminal message,
An ad entices you, the consumer,
And there's no way to find it.
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Is this human freedom,
Hedonistic excess?
Junkie consumerism,
Mass-production, toxic sickness,
Everyone is wearing now,
Plastic masks that they hide behind,
Marketing massive sales of nothing,
Everything is selling.
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
The arrogance,
Lost me with nonsense,
Well, it's so aggressive,
Yet so repulsive,
Well, it's a noxious culture,
Of the swarming vultures!
And I an impostor,
And he's coming to get you!
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
American shopping malls,
Where a product is sold and bought here,
Euthanizing the public,
While the dead walk the escalators,
They come from the loudspeakers,
They hear a subliminal message,
An ad entices you, the consumer,
And there's no way to find it.
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Is this human freedom,
Hedonistic excess?
Junkie consumerism,
Mass-production, toxic sickness,
Everyone is wearing now,
Plastic masks that they hide behind,
Marketing massive sales of nothing,
Everything is selling.
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
The arrogance,
Lost me with nonsense,
Well, it's so aggressive,
Yet so repulsive,
Well, it's a noxious culture,
Of the swarming vultures!
And I an impostor,
And he's coming to get you!
Is it you?
Is it you who's been orchestrated?
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Is it you?
Is it you who's born frustrated?
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
An alienation, anti- blind-consumism song. We need to buy,so the market flows selling, then the penny appears. We work, we dont get what we deserve for our work, mais-valia, and that`s the logical of capitalism. I hate competition!
i loved this song the first time i heard it because of how much ive always loathed all the materialistic bastards i have to deal with every time i step foot in a shopping mall and its also almost comical how they make malls sound like a giant conspiracy to fuck you out of all youre money and it sounds so extreme but its all too true
a similarity between consumerism and junkies
clearly it's the public and not the nation.
I don't know about the chorus but the other phrases seem to be about how no one thinks for themselves anymore.