"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 want my money back
I'm down here drowning in your fat
You got me on my knees
Praying for everything you lack
I ain't afraid of you
I'm just a victim of your fears
You cower in your tower
Praying that I'll disappear
I got another plan
One that requires me to stand
On the stage or in the street
Don't need no microphone or beat
And when you hear this song
If you ain't dead sing along
Bang and strum to these here drums
Till you get where you belong
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
I wrote a song for you today
While I was sitting in my room
I jumped up on my bed today
And played it on the broom
I didn't think that it would be a song
That you would hear
But when I played it in my head
I made you reappear
I wrote a video for it
And I acted out each part
And then I took your picture out
And taped it to my heart
I've taped you to my heart, dear girl
I've taped you to my heart
And if you pull away from me
You'll tear my life apart
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth, hand to mouth
Ecstacy, suffering, echinacea, bufferin
We aim to remember what we choose to forget
God's just a baby and her diaper is wet
Call the police
I'm strapped to the teeth
And liable to disregard
Your every belief
Call on the law
I'm fixin' to draw
A line between what is and seems
And call up a brawl
Callin' 'em now
'Cause I'm about to go pow
I'm standing on the threshold
Of the ups and the downs
Call up a truce
Because I'm about to break loose
Protect ya neck 'cause son
I'm breaking out of my noose
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
I'm down here drowning in your fat
You got me on my knees
Praying for everything you lack
I ain't afraid of you
I'm just a victim of your fears
You cower in your tower
Praying that I'll disappear
I got another plan
One that requires me to stand
On the stage or in the street
Don't need no microphone or beat
And when you hear this song
If you ain't dead sing along
Bang and strum to these here drums
Till you get where you belong
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
I wrote a song for you today
While I was sitting in my room
I jumped up on my bed today
And played it on the broom
I didn't think that it would be a song
That you would hear
But when I played it in my head
I made you reappear
I wrote a video for it
And I acted out each part
And then I took your picture out
And taped it to my heart
I've taped you to my heart, dear girl
I've taped you to my heart
And if you pull away from me
You'll tear my life apart
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth, hand to mouth
Ecstacy, suffering, echinacea, bufferin
We aim to remember what we choose to forget
God's just a baby and her diaper is wet
Call the police
I'm strapped to the teeth
And liable to disregard
Your every belief
Call on the law
I'm fixin' to draw
A line between what is and seems
And call up a brawl
Callin' 'em now
'Cause I'm about to go pow
I'm standing on the threshold
Of the ups and the downs
Call up a truce
Because I'm about to break loose
Protect ya neck 'cause son
I'm breaking out of my noose
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
You wanna be somebody? See somebody?
Try and free somebody?
I got a list of demands
Written on the palm of my hands
I ball my fist, and you're gonna
Know where I stand
We living hand to mouth
Hand to mouth
Lyrics submitted by pintsofguinness
List of Demands (Reparations) Lyrics as written by Saul Williams
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
The funny thing is, Robert: it's not even an ad for selling shoes, yet you are going on about it. It's for a training program Nike has to allow athletes to measure their performance over time as they train, and see how much better they get. You probably think they are still an evil corporation anyway, but just pointing out that it doesn't have to do with their shoe manufacturing.