"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.
The ghost of her
Floats over there
And the smile, the smile
It seems so lonely
She gave me her hand
As I struck up the band
And she seemed to sigh, she seemed to sigh
"You're the only"
And then we danced like two snowflakes
In the fallen wind
In the wind
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
The gymnasium floor
The price bound door
The jungle bird the jungle bird
That you showed me
Her love was so clean
To tell the truth Marlene
The sound of your tambourine still owns me
We were so young then
Now that I'm old I know, oh I know
I loved you right then
I would have made Marlene let go
My friends in the bars
Hell they only see the scars
And I do not give a damn, I do not give a damn
That I loved you
I don't know why
But once you seen the sky
You think you know all birds are lovely
But this snow on the ground
It would start tonight
It's 22 years dead
Since I saw the light
The world it explodes
As such a high powered load
To run, to run, to run
Was all I left me
Appeared as breeze
High in the clouds we'll freeze
To fly, to fly away
Was the lesson
You know the fire it burned her life out
Left me little more
I am a crippled singer
And it evens up the score
The ghost of her
It floats over there
And the smile, the smile
It seems so lonely
She gave me her hand
As I struck up the band
And she seemed to sigh, she seemed to sigh
"You're the only"
And then we danced like two snowflakes
In the fallen wind
In the wind
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
Floats over there
And the smile, the smile
It seems so lonely
She gave me her hand
As I struck up the band
And she seemed to sigh, she seemed to sigh
"You're the only"
And then we danced like two snowflakes
In the fallen wind
In the wind
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
The gymnasium floor
The price bound door
The jungle bird the jungle bird
That you showed me
Her love was so clean
To tell the truth Marlene
The sound of your tambourine still owns me
We were so young then
Now that I'm old I know, oh I know
I loved you right then
I would have made Marlene let go
My friends in the bars
Hell they only see the scars
And I do not give a damn, I do not give a damn
That I loved you
I don't know why
But once you seen the sky
You think you know all birds are lovely
But this snow on the ground
It would start tonight
It's 22 years dead
Since I saw the light
The world it explodes
As such a high powered load
To run, to run, to run
Was all I left me
Appeared as breeze
High in the clouds we'll freeze
To fly, to fly away
Was the lesson
You know the fire it burned her life out
Left me little more
I am a crippled singer
And it evens up the score
The ghost of her
It floats over there
And the smile, the smile
It seems so lonely
She gave me her hand
As I struck up the band
And she seemed to sigh, she seemed to sigh
"You're the only"
And then we danced like two snowflakes
In the fallen wind
In the wind
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
And if I ever go
Won't you let Marlene come in
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
There are several errors in the lyrics posted I believe the lyrics are as follows
The ghost of her hair, floats over there and her smile, her smile it seems so lonely She gave me her hand, as they struck up a band and she seemed to say, seemed to say "your the only" And we danced like two snowflakes, in the falling wind, in the wind well do me a favour god...wont you let Marlene come in?
The gymnasium floor, the brassbound door, the jungle bird the jungle bird that she showed me Her love was so clean, to tell the truth Marlene, the sound of the tambourine still haunts me We were so young then, now im old i know, iknow, oh i know Hell had you right then, but i made Marlene let go
My friends in the bars,hell, they only see the scars and they do not give a damn, do not give a damn, that i loved you I don't know why, but once you've seen the sky you think you know all birds are lovely but theres snow on the ground, in Woodstock tonight, its twenty two years dear, since i saw the light
The world did explode, in such a high powered glow to run, to run to run, was all they left me Up heres theres breeze, high in the clouds were free to fly, to fly away was the lesson Though the fire burned her life out, and left me little more I am a crippled singer, and it evens up the score.
Repeat first verse.
the song is clearly about the fire that tragically took the lives of 15 of his school friends, in particular that of Marlene Du Pont, a classmate and girlfriend of sorts. The references to "your tambourine still haunts me" relates to the music room to which the tragedy occurred. The "twenty two years dear" part is the time elapsedfrom fire to song. The rest is, i think, fairly self explanatory.
The song speaks of such loss and guilt that this could have been a way of Jackson trying to jettison these overwhelming emotions. the song was recorded in 1976, along with 8 other fantastic songs, and was intended for his second album.
About a schoolfriend who died in the fire that left him crippled.
The line that says "and in" is "and do me a favor"
And I think these are the actual lines:
And I do not give a damn they do not give a damn that I loved you The world did explode I don't know why that once you've seen the sky High in the clouds we're free to fly And though the fire burned her life out
There are several errors in the lyrics posted<br /> I believe the lyrics are as follows<br /> <br /> The ghost of her hair, floats over there<br /> and her smile, her smile it seems so lonely<br /> She gave me her hand, as they struck up a band <br /> and she seemed to say, seemed to say "your the only"<br /> And we danced like two snowflakes, in the falling wind, in the wind<br /> well do me a favour god...wont you let Marlene come in?<br /> <br /> The gymnasium floor, the brassbound door,<br /> the jungle bird the jungle bird that she showed me<br /> Her love was so clean, to tell the truth Marlene,<br /> the sound of the tambourine still haunts me<br /> We were so young then, now im old i know, iknow, oh i know<br /> Hell had you right then, but i made Marlene let go<br /> <br /> My friends in the bars,hell, they only see the scars<br /> and they do not give a damn, do not give a damn, that i loved you<br /> I don't know why, but once you've seen the sky<br /> you think you know all birds are lovely<br /> but theres snow on the ground, in Woodstock tonight,<br /> its twenty two years dear, since i saw the light<br /> <br /> The world did explode, in such a high powered glow<br /> to run, to run to run, was all they left me<br /> Up heres theres breeze, high in the clouds were free to fly,<br /> to fly away was the lesson<br /> Though the fire burned her life out, and left me little more<br /> I am a crippled singer, and it evens up the score.<br /> <br /> Repeat first verse.<br /> <br /> the song is clearly about the fire that tragically took the lives of 15 of his school friends, in particular that of Marlene Du Pont, a classmate and girlfriend of sorts.<br /> The references to "your tambourine still haunts me" relates to the music room to which the tragedy occurred. The "twenty two years dear" part is the time elapsedfrom fire to song. The rest is, i think, fairly self explanatory.<br /> <br /> The song speaks of such loss and guilt that this could have been a way of Jackson trying to jettison these overwhelming emotions. the song was recorded in 1976, along with 8 other fantastic songs, and was intended for his second album.