"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.
In the gloom, the gathering storm abates
In the ships, gimlet eyes await
The call to arms to hammer at the gates
To blow them wide throw evil to its fate
All summers long, the drills to build the machine
To turn men from flesh and blood to steel
From paper soldiers to bodies on the beach
From summer sands to Armageddon's reach
Overlord, your master not your God
The enemy coast dawning grey with scud
These wretched souls, puking, shaking fear
To take a bullet for those who sent them here
The world's alight
The cliffs erupt in flame
No escape, remorseless shrapnel rains
Drowning men no chance for a warrior's fate
A choking death, enter Hell's gates
Sliding we go
Only fear on our side
To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh, the water is red
With the blood of the dead
Oh, but I'm still alive
Pray to God I survive
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
The rising dead, faces bloated torn
They are relieved, the living wait their turn
Your number's up, the bullet's got your name
You still go on, to Hell and back again
Valhalla waits
Valkyries rise and fall
The warrior tombs, lie open for us all
A ghostly hand reaches through the veil
Blood and sand, we will prevail
Sliding we go
Only fear on our side
To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh, the water is red
With the blood of the dead
But I'm still alive
Pray to God I survive
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
In the ships, gimlet eyes await
The call to arms to hammer at the gates
To blow them wide throw evil to its fate
All summers long, the drills to build the machine
To turn men from flesh and blood to steel
From paper soldiers to bodies on the beach
From summer sands to Armageddon's reach
Overlord, your master not your God
The enemy coast dawning grey with scud
These wretched souls, puking, shaking fear
To take a bullet for those who sent them here
The world's alight
The cliffs erupt in flame
No escape, remorseless shrapnel rains
Drowning men no chance for a warrior's fate
A choking death, enter Hell's gates
Sliding we go
Only fear on our side
To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh, the water is red
With the blood of the dead
Oh, but I'm still alive
Pray to God I survive
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
The rising dead, faces bloated torn
They are relieved, the living wait their turn
Your number's up, the bullet's got your name
You still go on, to Hell and back again
Valhalla waits
Valkyries rise and fall
The warrior tombs, lie open for us all
A ghostly hand reaches through the veil
Blood and sand, we will prevail
Sliding we go
Only fear on our side
To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh, the water is red
With the blood of the dead
But I'm still alive
Pray to God I survive
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
How long on this longest day
'Til we finally make it through?
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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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Are you guys stupid?
Not one person has mentioned that the Japanese attacked America first, which resulted in Germany declaring war on us.
They started it, we finished it. Don't fuck with America. We prefer not to fight wars, but start one with us and end up like the imperial Japanese (non-existent now) or nazi Germany (non-existent)
So don't fuck with us.
PS. I hope we kill every bastard responsible for 9/11
Dont't get me wrong, war is a bad thing. But we're damn good at it.
So don't fuck with us. Sorry for the American exceptionalism.
@Luke50001 ah yes America.....always the last to enter a war,take the claim for the victory and always the first to leave.