"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.
Knocked up nine months ago
And what she's fittin' to have she don't know
She wants neo soul cause hip hop is old
She don't want no rock and roll
She want platinum, ice and gold
She want a whole lot of somethin' to fold
If you a obstacle she just drop you cold
'Cause one monkey don't stop the show
Little Mary's bad
In these streets she done ran
Ever since when the heat began
I told the girl, look here
Calm down I'mma hold your hand
To enable you to keep the plan
'Cause you was quick to learn
And we can make money to burn
If you allow me the latest game
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread my wings
And a world fittin' to know my name
I don't ask, for much these days
And I don't bitch and whine if I don't get my way
I only want to fertilize another behind my lover's back
I sit and watch it grow standin' where I'm at
Fertilize another behind my lovers back
And I'm keeping my secrets mine
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary dropped my baby girl tonight I would name her rock and roll
Cadillac needs space to roam
Where we headin' for she don't know
We in the city where the pro shake rattle and roll
And I'm a god dang rollin' stone
I don't beg, I can hold my own
I don't break, I can hold a chrome
And it's weighin' a ton and I'm a son of a gun
My code name is the only one
And Black Thought is bad
These streets he done ran ever since when the game began
I never played the fool
Matter of fact I've been keeping it cool
Since money been changin' hands
And I'm left to shine, the legacy I leave behind be the seed that'll keep the flame
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread these wings
And a world fittin' to know my name, now listen to me
I don't beg from a rich man
And I don't scream and kick when his shit don't fall in my hands, man
'Cause I know how to still
Fertilize another against my lovers will
I lick the opposition cause she don't take no pill
Oh you know the deal you'll be keeping my legend alive
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight I would name her rock 'n roll
Oh break it down, down for me
I push my seed somewhere deep in her chest
I push it naked cause I've takin' my test
Deliverin' Mary it don't matter the sex
I'm gonna name it rock 'n roll
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name it rock 'n roll
And what she's fittin' to have she don't know
She wants neo soul cause hip hop is old
She don't want no rock and roll
She want platinum, ice and gold
She want a whole lot of somethin' to fold
If you a obstacle she just drop you cold
'Cause one monkey don't stop the show
Little Mary's bad
In these streets she done ran
Ever since when the heat began
I told the girl, look here
Calm down I'mma hold your hand
To enable you to keep the plan
'Cause you was quick to learn
And we can make money to burn
If you allow me the latest game
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread my wings
And a world fittin' to know my name
I don't ask, for much these days
And I don't bitch and whine if I don't get my way
I only want to fertilize another behind my lover's back
I sit and watch it grow standin' where I'm at
Fertilize another behind my lovers back
And I'm keeping my secrets mine
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary dropped my baby girl tonight I would name her rock and roll
Cadillac needs space to roam
Where we headin' for she don't know
We in the city where the pro shake rattle and roll
And I'm a god dang rollin' stone
I don't beg, I can hold my own
I don't break, I can hold a chrome
And it's weighin' a ton and I'm a son of a gun
My code name is the only one
And Black Thought is bad
These streets he done ran ever since when the game began
I never played the fool
Matter of fact I've been keeping it cool
Since money been changin' hands
And I'm left to shine, the legacy I leave behind be the seed that'll keep the flame
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread these wings
And a world fittin' to know my name, now listen to me
I don't beg from a rich man
And I don't scream and kick when his shit don't fall in my hands, man
'Cause I know how to still
Fertilize another against my lovers will
I lick the opposition cause she don't take no pill
Oh you know the deal you'll be keeping my legend alive
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight I would name her rock 'n roll
Oh break it down, down for me
I push my seed somewhere deep in her chest
I push it naked cause I've takin' my test
Deliverin' Mary it don't matter the sex
I'm gonna name it rock 'n roll
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name her rock 'n roll
I would name it rock 'n roll
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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,
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.
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.
I'm definitely going to have to side with tobeforgotten on this one. Guys, The Roots aren't like Eminem or Q-Tip, their lyrics tend to actually be poetic and have hidden meanings. I don't think you can just accept the literal interpretation for this song.
I interpret the song to mean that they are attempting to unite the rock and roll and hip hop genres. In this case, they are trying to plant the seed of hip hop within the womb of rock and roll. He's having to do "fertilize another against my lover's will" because hip hop is resistant to integrating other musical styles. This interpretation is supported by the lines in the first verse that go:
"She don't want no rock-n-roll She want platinum or ice or gold She want a whole lotta somethin' to fold"
The lines are describing the hip hop culture obsession with money and "bling." Whereas, "I lick the opposition because she don't take no birth control" signifies that rock and roll is open and willing to integrate influences from other genres.
If you're still doubtful, just listen to the beats underlying the song. You have the heavy beats that are commonplace in hip hop and then the distinct guitar riff.
@deranged_one_13 After reading your comment am in complete agreement. Also Mary could refer to Mary J Blige (Queen of hip-hop soul)
@deranged_one_13 I also have to agree. This song is too sophisticated and intricate to be about something as simple as secret sex. It definitely makes references to art forms even to an ear not trained in deep poetry.<br /> <br /> This song may have multiple meanings, but it is absolutely about musical art, at the very minimum.
I think...that Black Thought..or Cody ChestnuTT, the narrator in general, is trying to leave his mark on the world. This is obvious, however, with "keep my legend alive." However, he's not just trying to leave his legacy of himself, but the actual legacy of music, more specifically, Rock & Roll.
However, he's..."fertilizing another behind my lover's back," thus making Rock & Roll the estranged child. Possibly noting the actual birth of Rock & Roll, which is 'the estranged child of Jazz'.
Absolutely brilliant song.
@tobeforgotten I believe you have nailed it. Thank you for doing so articulately.
ROFL at hastalavictoria
i agree with the theory that the song is about the narrator leaving his mark on the world, through a child, and musically aswell.
"She want neo-soul, this hip-hop is old She don't want no rock-n-roll She want platinum or ice or gold"
i think this part was talking about the changes in mainstream, mainly hip hop music.
uhh duh. but that's my two cents :-)
"And what she finna have she don't know She want neo-soul, this hip-hop is old She don't want no rock-n-roll She want platinum or ice or gold She want a whole lotta somethin' to fold "
this also makes me believe that the song is about the birth of Rock N Roll. It sounds like the woman wants to have a kid like hip-hop, or neo-soul, but she DOESN'T want rock n roll. Haha I'm awful at explaining my points
I never thought about that. I just assumed he was talking about how he wants to keep his legacy alive by impregnating different women (sounds a lot like Screamin' Jay Hawkins' life), even though he is supposedly with this one girl "fertilize another behind my lover's back." And he's been tested for std's so he knows he won't be giving the girl(s) a disease. One thing I don't get though, is the line "I lick the opposition because she don't take no pill" just offhand, it sounds like he pleases the girl just with foreplay because she's not on birth control, but that goes against the point (or at least the way I see the point) of the song. Can anybody explain? I'm probably just misinterpreting the song. Awesome song, and totally original just like The Roots!
Alright, first, it's "I push my seed in her bush", not push. Everytime I hear this the idea I get is that the narrator is in love with one girl, but she doesn't want to have kids. But he wants his family legacy to go on, so he impregnates a girl that is not his lover. This leads me to my other correction. Instead of "I lick the opposition cuz she don't take no pill" I hear "I LIKE the opposition cuz she don't take no pill". The "opposition" is the girl he's getting pregnant and he's having sex with her because she doesn't take birth control.
... and he plans to name the kid rock n roll :p
@ deranged one 13. "The Roots aren't like Eminem or Q-Tip, their lyrics tend to actually be poetic and have hidden meanings." I agree with you one the Emninem one, but Q-Tip? C'mon. Perhaps you've forgotten along with De La Soul and the rest of the Native Tounges Crew, Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest practically invented intelligent hip-hop. I also think this song is about the birth of rock and roll.
@rid90 I apologize. I was totally thinking 50 Cent and not Q-Tip!
^^^ How the hell did that happen?!
Anyway, fantastic song. I hadn't thought about it in that metaphoric sense before, either.
Great comments, when I first heard the lyrics I couldn't believe the Roots would drop a message like that. But now I've read some deeper interpretations I get it.