"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.
Although I didn't mention
I prayed for you that day
You left Glasco and your shell
and sailed back to the bay
And though it was predicted
Old times always sound so bad
The calendar was the saddest thing
That I ever read
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Though I wouldn't mention
I still say how do you
Know you wonder if the timing's off
How I want you too
Though we lost direction
Bad times always seem so sweet
You push the rythmn but kept uphill
The heart was made of steel
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Who knows? I know
Its our last show
And I hope you know you'll always be
Always be...
One heart
In space
Racing on
Come on friend
There's poison in your veins
Come on friend
You know I feel the same
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Who knows? I know
Its our last show
I hope you know there never was a party at all
I prayed for you that day
You left Glasco and your shell
and sailed back to the bay
And though it was predicted
Old times always sound so bad
The calendar was the saddest thing
That I ever read
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Though I wouldn't mention
I still say how do you
Know you wonder if the timing's off
How I want you too
Though we lost direction
Bad times always seem so sweet
You push the rythmn but kept uphill
The heart was made of steel
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Who knows? I know
Its our last show
And I hope you know you'll always be
Always be...
One heart
In space
Racing on
Come on friend
There's poison in your veins
Come on friend
You know I feel the same
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life the party
Who knows? I know
Its our last show
I hope you know there never was a party at all
Lyrics submitted by roleohibachi
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
"though i didnt mention i prayed for you that day "
He broke up with a girlfriend, who he is singing to, and this is about how he hoped she would take it well.
"and though it was predicted old times always sound so bad "
I guess their breakup was inevitable, but it still sounds bad recounting it. "your calender was the saddest thing that i ever read "
The girlfriend's calendar was blank. He is sad because it is clear that after their breakup, she hasn't been doing very well.
The chorus of "i hope you know youll always be the life of the party " is really just meant to cheer her up, I think.
"though i wouldnt mention i still say hi to you I know you wonder if our time is over how i want you to" (the above is corrected from the posted lyrics)
Even though they don't date anymore, he still says hi when he sees her. She wonders if they will ever get back together.
"though we lost direction bad times always seem so sweet you pushed the rythmn but kept uphill your heart was made of steel " (the above is corrected from the posted lyrics)
The memories of their relationship are sweet, but after a while they lost direction. He remembers how cruel she was at times, and how she seemed uncaring at times.
It becomes vague to me in the next few lines, possibly just added for rhyming.
And then at the end, "i hope you know there never was a party at all"
This is his way of telling the girlfriend that he was lying to her all along. She wasn't the life of the party, he was just trying to cheer her up because she seemed down, but after remembering how cruel she had been to him, he didn't feel like being nice to her after all.