"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.
I, I, I love little girls
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love, little girls
They make me feel so good
They don't care if I'm a one-way mirror
They're not frightened by my cold exterior
They don't, ask me questions
They don't, want to scold me
They don't, look for answers
They just, want to hold me
Isn't this fun?
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
Oh, oh, oh I love little girls
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, good
They don't care about my inclinations
They're not frightened by my revelations
Uh oh (uh oh), take a second (take a second)
Uh oh (uh oh), it's a mistake (it's a mistake)
Uh oh (uh oh), I'm in trouble (I'm in trouble)
Uh oh (uh oh), the little girl was just too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
And I don't care, what people say
And I don't care, what people think
And I don't care, how I look
When I'm down my street
They make me feel so--
I love, little girls
They don't care if I'm a one-way mirror
They don't care about my cold exterior
They don't (they don't), ask me questions (ask me questions)
They don't (they don't), want to scold me (want to scold me)
They don't (they don't), look for answers (look for answers)
They just (they just), want to hold me (want to hold me)
Uh oh (uh oh), I'm in trouble (I'm in trouble)
Uh oh (uh oh), the little girls was just too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
Oh, oh, oh, I, I, I love little girls
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love (I love), little girls
They make me feel so good
I love
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love, little girls
They make me feel so good
They don't care if I'm a one-way mirror
They're not frightened by my cold exterior
They don't, ask me questions
They don't, want to scold me
They don't, look for answers
They just, want to hold me
Isn't this fun?
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
Oh, oh, oh I love little girls
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, good
They don't care about my inclinations
They're not frightened by my revelations
Uh oh (uh oh), take a second (take a second)
Uh oh (uh oh), it's a mistake (it's a mistake)
Uh oh (uh oh), I'm in trouble (I'm in trouble)
Uh oh (uh oh), the little girl was just too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
And I don't care, what people say
And I don't care, what people think
And I don't care, how I look
When I'm down my street
They make me feel so--
I love, little girls
They don't care if I'm a one-way mirror
They don't care about my cold exterior
They don't (they don't), ask me questions (ask me questions)
They don't (they don't), want to scold me (want to scold me)
They don't (they don't), look for answers (look for answers)
They just (they just), want to hold me (want to hold me)
Uh oh (uh oh), I'm in trouble (I'm in trouble)
Uh oh (uh oh), the little girls was just too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Too little, too little, too little, too little
Isn't this what life's all about?
Isn't this a dream come true?
Isn't this a nightmare too?
Oh, oh, oh, I, I, I love little girls
They make me feel so good
I love, little girls
They make me feel so, bad
When they're around
They make me feel
Like I'm the only guy in town
I love (I love), little girls
They make me feel so good
I love
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Clearly the Elfman and the boys were trying to be a little alarming with this song's lyrics, but, I think it is also easy to see that it could be more about (probably shallow) relationships with younger women, as opposed to minors. Even the line about "Uh oh, the little girl was just too little" could simply mean that she wasn't emotionally ready for the relationship, perhaps. I posted these lyrics here, because everywhere else I've seen them, they had many errors in them. I hope these are accurate!
Perfectly logical explanation to the meaning of this song, but it could also be taken as a paorody of that ghastly 1950's musical GiGi, in which a rather old gentleman sings his appreciation of 'Little Girls', all rather innocent of course but with today's attitude, completely lecherous also.<br /> Can't iamgine Mr Elfman condoning or promoting child abuse in any shape, way or form. He has 2 daughters himself after all.