"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.
My life is all that I've known
And it's all that keeps me here
My time is all that I own
So I won't let it slip away...
How long can this life go on
Who we are what we are...
I'll see you on the other side
Wouldn't you rather live it on your own
Even when it bends you over
So when it comes time to go home
You don't let them fade away...
How long can this all go on?
How long till it's over?
And how long till it all comes down?
...And how bad do we need a new reminder?
Lyrics submitted by musicgirl429
Life Lyrics as written by Devin Garrett Townsend
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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."
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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
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“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.
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
It's interesting that when doing this live Devy will often say "Everybody ready for some death metal!?" I always thought it was a joke as this song is as far from death metal as you can get, but then I thought that maybe even though the song is called Life it's really about death, the 'see you on the other side' makes that more obvious. But then I realized it's actually about life AND death, the white and black, the Ying and Yang (the Strapping Young Lad and the Devin Townsend Band =op). This song sounds so simple yet it's ridiculously deep, and that's why it's my favorite song ever, I can never get tired of listening to it.
This is such a positive and uplifting song. I love it.
My life is all that I've known And it's all that keeps me here My time is all that I own So I won't let it slip away...
^ I love that verse because it is so true... Don't waste your time on stupid things. I love this song
I have to agree, this song is about living life and trying not to miss a beat. But then again he is saing "and how long till it all comes down?" So the song comes around on itself, just like Life.
In the last few minutes of the song, he is singing "See you on the other side." at the end of the song. This is saying to me that even though it is a good thing to be alive and enjoy the now, I will see you on the other side.
"In death, not only are the mightiest and the most humble brought down to the same level, but were no different from any other organism."
I see a lot of allusions to death in this song. I think this song is all about the value of the limited time we have on earth.
This song is so epic and inspiring.
I love the amazingly epic guitar part that starts right before 4:00. Ocean Machine is such a masterpiece.
It's just beautiful and epic and inspiring...nothing about this is even remotely bad. Clearly about cherishing your life.
basically what everyone else said, don't get caught up with little things and enjoy your life for what it is.