"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.
Before and beyond
The blue gates of death
Only two birds
They soar through the sky
Take two blackbirds
Cross-formed on poppy fields
And sprung in the springtime
Of Europe's fertile years
When the rain was immaculate
Not Red-rose invisible
And where in the heart
That beats in man
And where in the soul
That beats in this heart
May we find pastures
Of the little shining man?
Eagle, his hand in hand
Eagle, his glass in hand
Birch, she sits there scowling
Another eagle darkens the stage
(She tells me she loves me
But he always beckons)
They have reached
The blue gates of death
They are at
The blue gates of death
They shall go through
The blue gates of death
And on the rocks
The moss is everywhere
And the sky is black-blue
And it is darkening
Statues point to the sky
Birth
Earth
And dawn
And I believe
Christ is the Son of God
And I believe
Christ is His Son
Her eyes are horizontal
Like her secret
There is no pain for me to feel
"Do not touch this pain of mine"
She says
"It is darkened fear"
And London Bridge
Has fallen down
My mother sits in the kitchen
She's drinking
Victoria gin
And she's eating
Gingerbread men
Two ciphers straddle the stage
Reclaim, declaim, and decant
Their moves are pointless
Their promises echo through the night
We have all reached
The blue gates of death
We are at the opening
Of the blue gates of death
And Christ's name
Is carved in stone
But the time has soaked it away
Where the rain runs to the sea
It takes moisture from the world
Where river runs to the sea
It drags ships in its courses
And the blue turns to green
Behind the roses
Fields and pastures
Madness is the horn
And laughing is the wine
Full garlands hang
On the head of the porcupine god
Everyone reaches
The blue gates of death
Everything opens
No journey is without meaning
Every road has its end
And I shall die soon
And you shall die soon
And no luggage is carried
On the opening
To the gates of death
Death is no ending
It is the beginning
I shall not take you with me
But your face rests in my heart
Your soul is part of my soul
Your love is with me always
I shall remember you
In the darkness
That's to come
And flashing lights beckon
Another womb
Another life
At the blue gates of death
I loved you once
I shall love you again
Do not feel pain
Nothing lasts in the world
I loved you once
I shall love you again
I loved you once
I love you again
The blue gates of death
Only two birds
They soar through the sky
Take two blackbirds
Cross-formed on poppy fields
And sprung in the springtime
Of Europe's fertile years
When the rain was immaculate
Not Red-rose invisible
And where in the heart
That beats in man
And where in the soul
That beats in this heart
May we find pastures
Of the little shining man?
Eagle, his hand in hand
Eagle, his glass in hand
Birch, she sits there scowling
Another eagle darkens the stage
(She tells me she loves me
But he always beckons)
They have reached
The blue gates of death
They are at
The blue gates of death
They shall go through
The blue gates of death
And on the rocks
The moss is everywhere
And the sky is black-blue
And it is darkening
Statues point to the sky
Birth
Earth
And dawn
And I believe
Christ is the Son of God
And I believe
Christ is His Son
Her eyes are horizontal
Like her secret
There is no pain for me to feel
"Do not touch this pain of mine"
She says
"It is darkened fear"
And London Bridge
Has fallen down
My mother sits in the kitchen
She's drinking
Victoria gin
And she's eating
Gingerbread men
Two ciphers straddle the stage
Reclaim, declaim, and decant
Their moves are pointless
Their promises echo through the night
We have all reached
The blue gates of death
We are at the opening
Of the blue gates of death
And Christ's name
Is carved in stone
But the time has soaked it away
Where the rain runs to the sea
It takes moisture from the world
Where river runs to the sea
It drags ships in its courses
And the blue turns to green
Behind the roses
Fields and pastures
Madness is the horn
And laughing is the wine
Full garlands hang
On the head of the porcupine god
Everyone reaches
The blue gates of death
Everything opens
No journey is without meaning
Every road has its end
And I shall die soon
And you shall die soon
And no luggage is carried
On the opening
To the gates of death
Death is no ending
It is the beginning
I shall not take you with me
But your face rests in my heart
Your soul is part of my soul
Your love is with me always
I shall remember you
In the darkness
That's to come
And flashing lights beckon
Another womb
Another life
At the blue gates of death
I loved you once
I shall love you again
Do not feel pain
Nothing lasts in the world
I loved you once
I shall love you again
I loved you once
I love you again
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
David Tibet mentions the word "hypnagogic" in a couple of his works. It refers to hallucinations upon waking from sleep but before the mind is fully clear or the body is ready. The best examples are "waking dreams" or fantasies of alien abduction. Many of the images here have an intense hypnapompic/hypnagogic slant, not unlike parts of Imperium and Christ and the Pale Queens..., which makes sense as the two albums are less than three years apart. At the time when the former two were being made, Tibet had just recovered from a near-fatal nervous condition, allowing to produce some of his darkest, most bizarre lyrics. "The Blue Gates of Death" appears to be someone's dying thoughts, thinking back on others who'd died going through various stages of regret, seeking the help of whatever god (the "I believe that Christ..." part; interesting considering Tibet's opinion of religion at the time), and reminiscing about love before falling into unconsciousness...