"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.
The talk, it got so loud
The songs cut out
Well, that's when I'd had enough
Of all their talk n' stuff
I had to bring it down
To more level ground
Where my only company
Is wind blowin' through the leaves
My head they tried to wreck
But I just laughed and said:
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
When they expected that
They instead got this,
A broken but pretty mess
And what they cared I could care less
My farewell e-mail reads:
Farewell to thee
I'll pass through your world with ease
Like wind blowin' through the leaves
My head they tried to wreck
But I just laughed and said:
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
Despite the faxes sent
I shook my head and went,
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
The go in the go-for-it
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it...
The songs cut out
Well, that's when I'd had enough
Of all their talk n' stuff
I had to bring it down
To more level ground
Where my only company
Is wind blowin' through the leaves
My head they tried to wreck
But I just laughed and said:
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
When they expected that
They instead got this,
A broken but pretty mess
And what they cared I could care less
My farewell e-mail reads:
Farewell to thee
I'll pass through your world with ease
Like wind blowin' through the leaves
My head they tried to wreck
But I just laughed and said:
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
Despite the faxes sent
I shook my head and went,
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it
The go in the go-for-it
Guess who lost the go in the go-for-it...
Lyrics submitted by SpaceManSpiff
The Go in the Go-For-It Lyrics as written by Jason Lytle
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
It reminds me of the feeling I have when I walk out on a job. You buy into all the corporate bull, or at least give the appearance of so doing, you have a real 'go for it' attitude. Then it just leaves you one day and you walk down the road. The contrast of being free "Like wind blowing through the leaves" and existing in their world of emails and faxes is one I've felt and sure many have. I appreciate there's a metaphorical meaning beneath this too. But this is the immediate interpretation.
i always like to think of this song as being about society in general: the world tries to brainwash you, the best way to deal with it is just to laugh and say you don't care. i know that that isn't what the song really means, but that's what it means to me.
I reckon it's about suicide.
Seems to be about the way the media percieves Grandaddy.
"when they expected that they instead got this- the broken but pretty mess what they care i could care less"
Self explanatory - Grandaddy don't care what the media are saying, good or bad, they just do what they love and that's the way it's gonna stay.. one of the many things i love about this band.
The line where the questions marks are is: "Despite the faxes sent"
...and by "questions marks" I mean "question marks."
oops. I promise I'm literate.
the lyrics contain a few references to earlier Grandaddy....
"A broken but pretty mess" = A Pretty Mess by This One Band (early E.P.)
"Farewell to thee" = "Fare Thee Not Well Mutineer" (rare g'diddy track)
also, I think the line is "Despite the fax I sent"....