"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.
When my parents outta town
I got all my buddies round,
So we gonna have a party tonight
And if your daddy's got the truck
Then I'll come and pick you up
And anyone who wants to go for a ride
And if you want to have a drink
There's some bottles by the sink
There'll be 20,000 people inside
You know that everybody likes to party on Saturday night
We got every girl in school in the deep end of the pool
If you want to take a dip bring your trunks
When we start to dim the lights
Gotta find a girl you like
And you better hope she's already drunk
If somebody's feelin' sick
Get them in the garden quick
'cause we don't want them to spoil all the fun
You know that everybody wants to party on a Saturday night
We're wakin' everyone asleep
When we start the party in the street
We want the neighbors to complain
'cause the music's driving them insane
And if its goin' to your head
Get behind the garden shed
That's where everybody goes to get laid
Or if you want another beer
Then there's plenty in the rear
No one her to check if you're underage
And if you think you're havin' fun
Then the party's just begun
And anyone who leaves will wish that they'd stayed
You know that everybody likes to party on a Saturday night
We're wakin' everyone asleep
When we start the party in the street
We want the neighbors to complain
'cause our musics drivin' them insane
When my parents come back home
I say we've been alone
But we don't know how the mess got this bad
I'll be grounded for a while
All I have to do is smile
And get a little talk from my dad
The next time they're away
All my buddies can stay
We'll do our best to drive the neighborhood mad
You know that everybody likes to party on a Saturday
Everybody wants to party on a Saturday
Everybody loves to party on a Saturday night
I got all my buddies round,
So we gonna have a party tonight
And if your daddy's got the truck
Then I'll come and pick you up
And anyone who wants to go for a ride
And if you want to have a drink
There's some bottles by the sink
There'll be 20,000 people inside
You know that everybody likes to party on Saturday night
We got every girl in school in the deep end of the pool
If you want to take a dip bring your trunks
When we start to dim the lights
Gotta find a girl you like
And you better hope she's already drunk
If somebody's feelin' sick
Get them in the garden quick
'cause we don't want them to spoil all the fun
You know that everybody wants to party on a Saturday night
We're wakin' everyone asleep
When we start the party in the street
We want the neighbors to complain
'cause the music's driving them insane
And if its goin' to your head
Get behind the garden shed
That's where everybody goes to get laid
Or if you want another beer
Then there's plenty in the rear
No one her to check if you're underage
And if you think you're havin' fun
Then the party's just begun
And anyone who leaves will wish that they'd stayed
You know that everybody likes to party on a Saturday night
We're wakin' everyone asleep
When we start the party in the street
We want the neighbors to complain
'cause our musics drivin' them insane
When my parents come back home
I say we've been alone
But we don't know how the mess got this bad
I'll be grounded for a while
All I have to do is smile
And get a little talk from my dad
The next time they're away
All my buddies can stay
We'll do our best to drive the neighborhood mad
You know that everybody likes to party on a Saturday
Everybody wants to party on a Saturday
Everybody loves to party on a Saturday night
Lyrics submitted by nutty dolphin
Saturday Night Lyrics as written by Traditional Ashley Hutchings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I Can't Go To Sleep
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
American Town
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nutty dolphin, as alfrim correctly pointed out, I was talking about her, not you.