"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.
Tell me a doll once came dead from above,
How'd you lose your way,
It stole a year from your best ones a waste to ground you.
When i get to your house,
Off my back i'll lose the weight,
When i get to your house,
Swear to god i won't trust the model or the make
I will trust you.
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Tie me up to the radiator
Trust the sweat, not the face it's on
Tie me up to the radiator
Don't put those lights on me
Don't put those lights on me
The same doll came to walk over us,
How'd you lose your way,
It broke mold got stretched like the weak ones,
Cracked and dried up slow.
When i get to your house,
Off my back i'll lose the weight,
When i get to your new fake god,
I wont trust the model or the make
I will trust you
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Tie me up to the radiator
Trust the sweat, not the face it's on
Tie me up to the radiator
Don't put those lights on me
Don't put those lights on me
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up, tie me up
Our vanity's a sickness,
There's a world outside prescribed,
And I won't live in it.
How'd you lose your way,
It stole a year from your best ones a waste to ground you.
When i get to your house,
Off my back i'll lose the weight,
When i get to your house,
Swear to god i won't trust the model or the make
I will trust you.
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Tie me up to the radiator
Trust the sweat, not the face it's on
Tie me up to the radiator
Don't put those lights on me
Don't put those lights on me
The same doll came to walk over us,
How'd you lose your way,
It broke mold got stretched like the weak ones,
Cracked and dried up slow.
When i get to your house,
Off my back i'll lose the weight,
When i get to your new fake god,
I wont trust the model or the make
I will trust you
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Tie me up to the radiator
Trust the sweat, not the face it's on
Tie me up to the radiator
Don't put those lights on me
Don't put those lights on me
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up to the radiator
Tie me up, tie me up
Our vanity's a sickness,
There's a world outside prescribed,
And I won't live in it.
Lyrics submitted by postlapsaria
Me Vs Morrissey In The Pretentiousness Contest (The Ladder Match) song meanings
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
i dont think the lyrics are "tie me up to the radiator" its "tie my up to the radio"
Nan it's radiator.
should say, nah, it's radiator
a seriously rockin tune
This song is probably the weakest lyrically on the album. And probably one of the strongest musically.
Shame, that.
Oh, and it's definately radiator. I copied it directly from the album notes.
AWS is one of the best live acts out there
they own on all aspects of punk
What.. Bad lyrically? You're kidding me right? This song is weakest on the album lyrically.. but even then it's pretty much better than 90% of the other shit out there.
But seeing as there's no actual stabs at the meaning of the song in all 7 comments on a site called SongMeaning.net, I'LL actually stay on topic. Official word from Trevor Reilly:
"Me vs. Morrissey is about two things 1) a friend who was taken from us by a girl and changed, or that's how I perceived the situation in the song anyway and 2) starting a new relationship with a wonderful woman. Two sides to a story basically. Hope that doesn't sound too lame."
ho, is that the true meaning? almost disapointing... I thought it was about religion, the doll being Jesus, and "won't trust the model or the make, I will trust you" meaning I won't believe in god or in religious hierarchy, I will believe in human being...
I have a love hate relationship with this band .. one of the best hard-rock albums 'musically' which I have heard in a while .. but their lyrics are just terrible.