"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.
Dread holding me under
In the darkest waters of confusion
The air breathes like rotting earth
As a victor, I have never been dying as much
Yet, this familiar scenery seems incomplete
Is it the whispering of the night
Or the waters cold gaze
That takes me back to a far-flung past?
I don't know what to think
What to see or what to believe
Something's out of place or out of time
Dissonant echoes paint a nauseating scene:
Life is seeping from this corpse
A crimson stream between the paving stones
And the eyes that stare back at me
Are numbed with death
Drowning in tidal waves
Of uncontrollable thoughts
Reflections of the demons
That shelter within me
A silhouette distinguishes
From the shadows of dusk
It beckons me, it spells my name
Save me…..
As it draws near,
A voice whistles a familiar tune
It's footsteps raise my heartbeat to their pace
I've been here before…
Distance shortens to an unbearable recognition
Our eyes meet, Time collapses
Breath is riven from our lungs
It was me…
Save me - I'm falling
Into a - into a white void
Save me - I'm falling
Seeing what - I cannot believe
And so another circuit
Perpetuates the chain
When the endling merges
Into one AGAIN
The incarnationprocess
Now can recommence
Release the energy
In (a) sulphur incense
I've let my mind to witness to see
The blueprints of a greater design
A patchwork of incarnations
Like shackles in a chainreaction
Releasing energy for...
For whom actually?
I couldn't say…it is too abstract
The incognation is far too much for me to bare
And so this shackle failed to re-initialise
Now memories instead have risen from ashes to flesh
The chainreaction is saturated
Save me - I'm falling
Into a - complete omniscience
Save me - I'm falling
Professing - to the blinded ones
In the darkest waters of confusion
The air breathes like rotting earth
As a victor, I have never been dying as much
Yet, this familiar scenery seems incomplete
Is it the whispering of the night
Or the waters cold gaze
That takes me back to a far-flung past?
I don't know what to think
What to see or what to believe
Something's out of place or out of time
Dissonant echoes paint a nauseating scene:
Life is seeping from this corpse
A crimson stream between the paving stones
And the eyes that stare back at me
Are numbed with death
Drowning in tidal waves
Of uncontrollable thoughts
Reflections of the demons
That shelter within me
A silhouette distinguishes
From the shadows of dusk
It beckons me, it spells my name
Save me…..
As it draws near,
A voice whistles a familiar tune
It's footsteps raise my heartbeat to their pace
I've been here before…
Distance shortens to an unbearable recognition
Our eyes meet, Time collapses
Breath is riven from our lungs
It was me…
Save me - I'm falling
Into a - into a white void
Save me - I'm falling
Seeing what - I cannot believe
And so another circuit
Perpetuates the chain
When the endling merges
Into one AGAIN
The incarnationprocess
Now can recommence
Release the energy
In (a) sulphur incense
I've let my mind to witness to see
The blueprints of a greater design
A patchwork of incarnations
Like shackles in a chainreaction
Releasing energy for...
For whom actually?
I couldn't say…it is too abstract
The incognation is far too much for me to bare
And so this shackle failed to re-initialise
Now memories instead have risen from ashes to flesh
The chainreaction is saturated
Save me - I'm falling
Into a - complete omniscience
Save me - I'm falling
Professing - to the blinded ones
Lyrics submitted by leetwim
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/