"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.
Walking home from work
Stop at the supermarket
The condiment aisle
A jar of pickles catches the eye
Made eye contact with a solitary pickle
But the jar took it home
Then made up the stairs
And made it through the doorway
And waded through the floor
Tried to head in the general direction of the bathroom
The truest room in the whole damn hous
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
So the answer's got to be love
so feeding time with TV
Then sleeping time not sleepy so reading time with pickle
But where the bedside lamp had been
Is now emanating soft soft green
Has it always been this way?
Is it possible that all this magic went unnoticed?
maybe now things will start to change,
And life will turn a better page
No more rage.
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
But I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love
Tomorrow back to work again
But run to the supermarket
Running hopeful through the aisles
Haven't been this happy in a long time
But not a single jar will smile
After hours
Man pickle jars are just pickle jars
And pickles are just pickles
Ingredients: water, salt, cucumbers, garlic, and pickling spices
But love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
Stop at the supermarket
The condiment aisle
A jar of pickles catches the eye
Made eye contact with a solitary pickle
But the jar took it home
Then made up the stairs
And made it through the doorway
And waded through the floor
Tried to head in the general direction of the bathroom
The truest room in the whole damn hous
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
So the answer's got to be love
so feeding time with TV
Then sleeping time not sleepy so reading time with pickle
But where the bedside lamp had been
Is now emanating soft soft green
Has it always been this way?
Is it possible that all this magic went unnoticed?
maybe now things will start to change,
And life will turn a better page
No more rage.
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
But I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love
Tomorrow back to work again
But run to the supermarket
Running hopeful through the aisles
Haven't been this happy in a long time
But not a single jar will smile
After hours
Man pickle jars are just pickle jars
And pickles are just pickles
Ingredients: water, salt, cucumbers, garlic, and pickling spices
But love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
Lyrics submitted by TheBeff, edited by kiackley90, iSWORD
Reading Time with Pickle Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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.
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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.
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I love this song so much.
Regina can put a story into a song and making it heart-warming, shocking, funny- she is amazing with words.
When I hear this song I feel happy. She is reminding people that love can exist and it is always there but nowadays it appears not to be ("Has it always been this way? Is it possible that all of this magic went unnoticed?").
Regina is trying to say there is so many negative things happening in the world today people fail to realise that love is the answer to true happiness- "love is the answer to a question that I have forgotten." Maybe Regina is trying to say that because of all of the war going on in the world love is going unnoticed- "life will turn a better page, no more rage."
I think the "pickles" are symbolic in this song. They represent love. When the girl "made eye contact with a solitary pickle" she feels that she needs to care for them, maybe she feels that she is lacking someone in her life that can give her affection, therefore cares for the pickles and treats them like a child, she is the mother figure- "so feeding time with TV, then sleeping time not sleepy, so reading time with pickle."
Halfway through the song the character realises that love can still be found in the world, it still exists, and her jar of pickles are..well..just a jar of pickles, not someone or something that can show love and care towards her like she showed towards them- "After all, pickle jars are just pickles, and pickles are just pickles." When she returns the pickles, she feels happy and knows that it is still possible to find love in a world full of pain and suffering.
:) Hope this has came in useful to anyone.
Would be glad to hear anybodys ideas! x