"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.
We once drew
Some lines in black
And right now it's about time
We took them back
So bored of losing ground to the heresy
In our hearts.
With a steady steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through you sweaty skin skin.
Please don't stay
We're not well past asking
This time we'll make it clear
Our point is made
You're no longer welcome here
(But we) wish you well
With a steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through your sweaty sweaty skin skin skin
Off with your head
We'll take it all back and then some
Never again... Off with your head
We'll cut out all that's a hinderance
Bleed the old man
And just in case you want to protest
Your eviction, imminent
With a rolling head
On the dirty pavement
And just in case you want to contest
Your destruction, evident
The decisionn, permanent
We'll send you out so you'll know that you will find a bright shiny new home on the other side
(Never again
Never again will you)
You're no longer welcome here
(But we) Wish you well...
With a steady steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through your sweaty skin skin
I know who I am in the Depths of
Spirit and truth
I've seen the face of redemption
And He isn't you
I'm through indulging my tastes of
My crulest nature
So I think this blade better suites you...
Since were the ones
Who occupy this temple
We'll be the ones
Who'll show you out
Some lines in black
And right now it's about time
We took them back
So bored of losing ground to the heresy
In our hearts.
With a steady steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through you sweaty skin skin.
Please don't stay
We're not well past asking
This time we'll make it clear
Our point is made
You're no longer welcome here
(But we) wish you well
With a steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through your sweaty sweaty skin skin skin
Off with your head
We'll take it all back and then some
Never again... Off with your head
We'll cut out all that's a hinderance
Bleed the old man
And just in case you want to protest
Your eviction, imminent
With a rolling head
On the dirty pavement
And just in case you want to contest
Your destruction, evident
The decisionn, permanent
We'll send you out so you'll know that you will find a bright shiny new home on the other side
(Never again
Never again will you)
You're no longer welcome here
(But we) Wish you well...
With a steady steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through your sweaty skin skin
I know who I am in the Depths of
Spirit and truth
I've seen the face of redemption
And He isn't you
I'm through indulging my tastes of
My crulest nature
So I think this blade better suites you...
Since were the ones
Who occupy this temple
We'll be the ones
Who'll show you out
Lyrics submitted by MrBojangles123
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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."
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,
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.
Love these lyrics. P86 is such a hard band to interpret really, but you know that they are always pusing good morals. i love this song, it's about what everyones been saying, cutting away the sin, but the cool part for me is the conviction "off with your head" As a Christian i know i'm a sinner, so to yell at myself as well as be yelled at in a Christ way like that is amazing
I love the "With a steady steady hand hand hammer hammer blade blade through you sweaty skin skin" it's the dissecting of what's making you that way, figuring out what's wrong in your life, and fixing it, removing all that's a hindrance. bleed the old man being killing who you were in that sense. awesome metaphors once again by Project 86
In Christ -The Happiness Salesman