"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. Prelude
When our weary world was young
The struggle of the ancients first began
The gods of love and reason
Sought alone to rule the fate of man
They battled through the ages
But still neither force would yield
The people were divided
Every soul a battlefield ...
II. Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom
’I bring truth and understanding
I bring wit, and wisdom fair
Precious gifts beyond compare
We can build a world of wonder
I can make you all aware’
’I will find you food and shelter
Show you fire to keep you warm
Through the endless winter storm
You can live in grace and comfort
In the world that you transform’
The people were delighted
Coming forth to claim their prize
They ran to build their cities
And converse among the wise
But one day the streets fell silent
Yet they knew not what was wrong
The urge to build these fine things
Seemed not to be so strong
The wise men were consulted
And the bridge of death was crossed
In quest of dionysus
To find out what they had lost ...
III. Dionysus: Bringer of Love
’I bring love to give you solace
In the darkness of the night
In the heart’s eternal light
You need only trust your feelings
Only love can steer you right’
’I bring laughter, I bring music
I bring joy and I bring tears
I will soothe your primal fears
Throw off those chains of reason
And your prison disappears’
The cities were abandoned
And the forests echoed song
They danced and lived as brothers
They knew love could not be wrong
Food and wine they had aplenty
And they slept beneath the stars
The people were contented
And the gods watched from afar
But the winter fell upon them
And it caught them unprepared
Bringing wolves and cold starvation
And the hearts of men despaired ...
IV. Armageddon: The Battle of Heart and Mind
The universe divided
As the heart and mind collided
With the people left unguided
For so many troubled years
In a cloud of doubts and fears
Their world was torn asunder
Into hollow hemispheres
Some fought themselves, some fought each other
Most just followed one another
Lost and aimless like their brothers
For their hearts were so unclear
And the truth could not appear
Their spirits were divided
Into blinded hemispheres
Some who did not figh
Brought tales of old to light
My ’Rocinante’ sailed by night
On her final flight
To the heart of Cygnus’ fearsome force
We set our course
Spiralled through that timeless space
To this immortal place
V. Cygnus: Bringer of Balance
I have memory and awareness
But I have no shape or form
As a disembodied spirit
I am dead and yet unborn
I have passed into olympus
As was told in tales of old
To the city of immortals
Marble white and purest gold
I see the gods in battle rage on high
Thunderbolts across the sky
I cannot move, I cannot hide
I feel a silent scream begin inside
Then all at once the chaos ceased
A stillness fell, a sudden peace
The warriors felt my silent cry
And stayed their struggle, mystified
Apollo was atonished
Dionysus thought me mad
But they heard my story further
And they wondered, and were sad
Looking down from olympus
On a world of doubt and fear
Its surface splintered
Into sorry hemispheres
They sat a while in silence
Then they turned at last to me
’We will call you Cygnus,
The God of Balance you shall be’
VI. The Sphere: A Kind of Dream
We can walk our road together
If our goals are all the same
We can run alone and free
If we pursue a different aim
Let the truth of love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the heart and mind united
In a single perfect sphere
When our weary world was young
The struggle of the ancients first began
The gods of love and reason
Sought alone to rule the fate of man
They battled through the ages
But still neither force would yield
The people were divided
Every soul a battlefield ...
II. Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom
’I bring truth and understanding
I bring wit, and wisdom fair
Precious gifts beyond compare
We can build a world of wonder
I can make you all aware’
’I will find you food and shelter
Show you fire to keep you warm
Through the endless winter storm
You can live in grace and comfort
In the world that you transform’
The people were delighted
Coming forth to claim their prize
They ran to build their cities
And converse among the wise
But one day the streets fell silent
Yet they knew not what was wrong
The urge to build these fine things
Seemed not to be so strong
The wise men were consulted
And the bridge of death was crossed
In quest of dionysus
To find out what they had lost ...
III. Dionysus: Bringer of Love
’I bring love to give you solace
In the darkness of the night
In the heart’s eternal light
You need only trust your feelings
Only love can steer you right’
’I bring laughter, I bring music
I bring joy and I bring tears
I will soothe your primal fears
Throw off those chains of reason
And your prison disappears’
The cities were abandoned
And the forests echoed song
They danced and lived as brothers
They knew love could not be wrong
Food and wine they had aplenty
And they slept beneath the stars
The people were contented
And the gods watched from afar
But the winter fell upon them
And it caught them unprepared
Bringing wolves and cold starvation
And the hearts of men despaired ...
IV. Armageddon: The Battle of Heart and Mind
The universe divided
As the heart and mind collided
With the people left unguided
For so many troubled years
In a cloud of doubts and fears
Their world was torn asunder
Into hollow hemispheres
Some fought themselves, some fought each other
Most just followed one another
Lost and aimless like their brothers
For their hearts were so unclear
And the truth could not appear
Their spirits were divided
Into blinded hemispheres
Some who did not figh
Brought tales of old to light
My ’Rocinante’ sailed by night
On her final flight
To the heart of Cygnus’ fearsome force
We set our course
Spiralled through that timeless space
To this immortal place
V. Cygnus: Bringer of Balance
I have memory and awareness
But I have no shape or form
As a disembodied spirit
I am dead and yet unborn
I have passed into olympus
As was told in tales of old
To the city of immortals
Marble white and purest gold
I see the gods in battle rage on high
Thunderbolts across the sky
I cannot move, I cannot hide
I feel a silent scream begin inside
Then all at once the chaos ceased
A stillness fell, a sudden peace
The warriors felt my silent cry
And stayed their struggle, mystified
Apollo was atonished
Dionysus thought me mad
But they heard my story further
And they wondered, and were sad
Looking down from olympus
On a world of doubt and fear
Its surface splintered
Into sorry hemispheres
They sat a while in silence
Then they turned at last to me
’We will call you Cygnus,
The God of Balance you shall be’
VI. The Sphere: A Kind of Dream
We can walk our road together
If our goals are all the same
We can run alone and free
If we pursue a different aim
Let the truth of love be lighted
Let the love of truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the heart and mind united
In a single perfect sphere
Lyrics submitted by Brat Moj, edited by Rush4Peace
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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/
Taken more literally this is about the idea that neither the heart or the mind should have complete control of us. It something that, really everyone can understand and agree with. But if you look at it beyond the words, it can be seen as being that there's a middle ground in every polarizing issue/feeling/etc... And finding and staying in the middle ground if often the right way to go. Extremes are rarely right
Ah man, this song is so awesome, it's better than "2112."
Anyway, I think it's using a mythological setting to show that we can't always rely on our mind, and thinking and logic and reason, and we can't always rely on our heart, or intuition. We need to find the middle ground, "with the heart and mind united in a single perfect sphere."
Incredible Song...no need to say better or worse than 2112...they are both epic songs...thank the rock gods we have a band who made both songs...as well as two more epics..xanadu, natural science
Yeah, it's another concept alluded to by Ayn Rand, one of the only good ones. Most of her rantings are just nuts.
Peart even took the characters from a Rand book.
Ayn Rand was a proponent of Laissez Faire Capitalism. Which never actually existed without a kinda agreement that we should also donate towards the betterment of all. Rand just thought that"As long as everyone just works for their own happiness without "intervention from the state" then everyone and thing will be fine. That kind of thing just lead to society being stood on its head with the rich and powerful enslaving everyone in the name of negative liberty. The reason why we are in the enviromental and societal mess we are in now is because of people listening to people like her(Born into the Russian Revolution). THIS is not what Rush were singing about! The "Communist BogeyMan" has turned into "The Socialist Bogeyman". Balance my freind! Sensitive, open and Strong!.
I love both books of Cygnus X-1, but I'm a bit confused as to how Cygnus manages to end to fighting between Apollo and Dionysus. What is "his story," how he passed through the black hole? How would this unite heart and mind?
The Middle Way. Balance!
I always thought that this song is based off of The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Neitzche, it features a similar plot(not about black holes)
Besides some of these other great comments. This song may also include the three band members and how they interact. Neil is the mind (Wisdom), Alex the Body (Love), and Geddy the Heart (Balance). All are equal parts and this theme is repeated again over time see Presto with Paper, Rock, and Sissors. The number 3 and the balance theme are seen over and over with this awesome band.
A tribute to balance in all things. Most beautiful song I am aware of.
Been listening to this song for 34 years and didn't have a clue what it was about till I experienced my own spiritual awakening, the battle between heart and mind I now understand very much! Its gone from a classic rock track to a very emotional one for me, is it simply about Spiritual Awakening? I think so.
Ever since 1987 when I was just a young buck, Hemispheres was always a song that tickled my senses... Truly intriguing. The notorious battle between heart and mind. Every human beings challenge!! Better yet, performed by the most brilliant band in the universe!! How could 17 mins get any better!!!!????