"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.
Was it a huntsman or a player
That made you pay the cost
That now assumes relaxed positions
And prostitutes your loss?
Were you tortured by your own thirst
In those pleasures that you seek
That made you Tom the curious
That makes you James the weak?
And you claim you got something going
Something you call unique
But I've seen your self-pity showing
As the tears rolled down your cheeks
Soon you know I'll leave you
And I'll never look behind
'Cos I was born for the purpose
That crucifies your mind
So con, convince your mirror
As you've always done before
Giving substance to shadows
Giving substance ever more
And you assume you got something to offer
Secrets shiny and new
But how much of you is repetition
That you didn't whisper to him too
That made you pay the cost
That now assumes relaxed positions
And prostitutes your loss?
Were you tortured by your own thirst
In those pleasures that you seek
That made you Tom the curious
That makes you James the weak?
And you claim you got something going
Something you call unique
But I've seen your self-pity showing
As the tears rolled down your cheeks
Soon you know I'll leave you
And I'll never look behind
'Cos I was born for the purpose
That crucifies your mind
So con, convince your mirror
As you've always done before
Giving substance to shadows
Giving substance ever more
And you assume you got something to offer
Secrets shiny and new
But how much of you is repetition
That you didn't whisper to him too
Lyrics submitted by pat_rulz69, edited by phantom309
Crucify Your Mind Lyrics as written by Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
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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:
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Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This song means a lot to me- so does the story of Rodriguez. I feel that this song is about a girl who doesn't have a lot to offer, but keeps Dating the same sort of "player" over and over, expecting a different outcome Each time (This sort of like Einstein's definition of insanity!). I tried to transpose this tune like a poem and this is what I came up with:
Was He a predator or a player Who made you care for him then he left you Assumes it all meant nothing Only every saw you as sex (prostitutes = sell for inferior purpose)
Were you tortured by your own thirst In those pleasures that you seek (affection, love, sex) That originally made you curious That now has made you week
You Say you're special You say you're unique But you know inside that your not special As the tear roll down you cheeks
(now we're a little back in time - from the point of view from guy) Soon you know I'll leave you And I'll never look behind It's just my nature To tear up your heart/mind
Go convince your mirror that your special as you've always done before Giving substance to a vague image of how you'd like to be seen (Shadows is used because you cannot define a shape from its shadow, therefore it has no full "substance") Giving substance as you've done before
You assume you have something that will make this relationship different from past loves Secrets shiny and new How much of was is the same? Was there anything different?
I think you have done a good job with this interpretation.
exactly.
I'm sorry to say it but your vision of the song seems pretty shallow to me.<br /> It's probably what it means for you, and in a way it is surely one way of seeing it, but the EGO interpretation sounds very much like what I feel about it.<br /> Plus, AMG156 explaned it very well.
To me this song is all about Ego. The lyrics are genius. By Huntsman or player I think Rodriguez is referring to the people we dream of becoming. However, the large majority of us do not become the person we dream of and are "tortured by your own thirst in those pleasures that you seek." Those of us with Ego's, assume we have something to offer, "secret shiny and new". But in the end, your ego will only make you unhappy especially when you do not acquire the things you dreamed of. The song is called crucify your mind because Rodriguez wants to make it apparent to us that we are not living in reality "con, convince your mirror"..."giving substance to the shadows" because our ego's are clouding our vision. I just nailed this m@therf*cker. #AndyOut
I think you nailed it too. I listened to it tonight for the first few times and I thought, damn, this sounds like a song about the masks that we wear in society, how we strive to be what we think society or parents or peers think we should be. And maybe about how that path is one in which we cope with our sadness by indulging in "pleasures." I dunno. But I do believe the track is disguised as a love song, but it's surely something else.
Absolutely, the 'born for the purpose that crucifies your mind' is such a clear hint that I have no doubt that Rodrigues is sharing with us the path to, say, nirguna brahman.
You are right.
@amg156 that was badass!!!!!
This song is on par with the lyrical genius of Leonard Cohen. It's unbelievable that he didn't achieve similar renown...
On par? It's far beyond any of Cohen's work.
Such a great song.
to me it says this:
Who was it that broke your heart?
was it your own needs that made it happen?
You pretend you are over it but clearly you are not.
Now I'm going to do the same as all the others and it will repeat once more.
Then you will think you've found the answer but it will just repeat once more.
It's OK. There are more ears in the sea. Happy Hunting...
This song is about infidelity.
Apparently,Sixto really sees through this woman,who is nothing,substanceless !
This could also be an allegory for modern,superficial meaningless life...
These lyrics make you think - Right On Sixto !!!
I got stoned and thought about this alot. I think it's about a girl who lost her virginity to a player/bad guy and now keeps dating the same type of person and having the same meaningless relationships
Here's how i break it down.
Was it a huntsman or a player
That made you pay the cost - "Cost" refers to the girl's virginity.
That now assumes relaxed positions - 'Relaxed positions' means sex (the man is now having sex with her).
And prostitutes your loss? - So the "loss" is the girl's virginity and remember it's the "hunter/player" who's prostituting it. If you prostitute something you make money or benefit from it. So the man is benefitting off the girl's virginity(cause he gets to have sex/pleasure)
Were you tortured by your own thirst - You couldn't stop yourself....
In those pleasures that you seek - From seeking love/affection..... That made you Tom the curious - That made you curious That makes you James the weak? - That now makes you weak
And you claim you got something going - You're telling me you have a good relationship going now with a new person
Something you call unique - You think the relationship/love is unique and new, not like your previously bad relationship
But I've seen your self-pity showing - But i've seen the reality. This relationship is bad like the others and you're feeling sorry for yourself.
And the tears rolled down your cheeks.
Soon you know I'll leave you - We've moved ahead in time. Switched to the perspective of her current boyfriend. He's gonna leave her like all the ones before.
And I'll never look behind - He doesn't care. 'Cos I was born for the purpose That crucifies your mind. - Because guys like him are players/predators, and they will always hurt girls like her.
So con, convince your mirror - Convince yourself As you've always done before - Like you always do Giving substance to shadows - That our current relationship (the shadow) is meaningful Giving substance ever more. - And keep on doing this with all other guys you meet.
And you assume you got something to offer - You say you have some good things to offer men.
Secrets shiny and new - You have new ideas to make your next relationship work
But how much of you is repetition - These next two lines are pretty important as it doesnt make much sense at first. But imo he's saying your life is just repetition. Your making the same mistakes with each relationship...
That you didn't whisper to him too - ...And you didn't tell the last guy about this problem, just like you didn't tell me.
Excellent break down of the song. Your interpretation on each line is very close to mine.<br /> If you don't mind I'd like to give my interpretation as a reply to yours due to many similarities. In fact I may copy and paste many of your lines because I like the way you phrased the lines that i agree with.<br /> <br /> First I differ in my interpretation because I feel that she was cheating on her man with someone else, and he knows. <br /> <br /> Now here is how I break <br /> <br /> Was it a huntsman or a player- (the man she ends up cheating on)<br /> That made you pay the cost- cost being cheating on the narrator<br /> That now assumes relaxed positions - 'Relaxed positions' means sex (the man is now having sex with her). <br /> And prostitutes your loss? - So the "loss" is the girl's loss of the current relationship she is in. I believe that the narrator are together through the end of the song, however once you've cheated on your spouse or significant other you lose something speacial that you once had. and remember it's the "hunter/player" who's prostituting it. If you prostitute something you make money or benefit from it. So the man is benefitting off the girl new special relationship(cause he gets to have sex/pleasure).<br /> Were you tortured by your own thirst - You couldn't stop yourself....<br /> <br /> In those pleasures that you seek - From seeking love/affection.....<br /> That made you Tom the curious - That made you curious<br /> That makes you James the weak? - That now makes you weak<br /> And you claim you got something going - You're telling me you have a good relationship going now with a new person<br /> <br /> Something you call unique - You think the relationship/love is unique and new, not like your current bad relationship<br /> <br /> But I've seen your self-pity showing- I can tell that that your hiding something from me by the way that your acting.<br /> <br /> And the tears rolled down your cheeks.- and now i can tell that you feel remorse "because she's crying"<br /> <br /> So con, convince your mirror - Convince yourself, <br /> As you've always done before - Like you always do<br /> Giving substance to shadows - <br /> Giving substance ever more. - (repetitious line)<br /> And you assume you got something to offer - You want to with me but i want to leave.<br /> Secrets shiny and new- trying new things<br /> But how much of you is repetition-<br /> that you didnt whisper to him to- your telling me the exact same thing that you told him
I can't believe someone as vapid as Lady Gaga or Britney Spears or whoever, has more comments on one song than Rodriguez has with all his songs combined. It's mindboggling to me.
This is one of my all-time favourite songs, it's beautiful.
I'm pretty sure that this song isn't directed at any one specific person, but to society as a whole. How we all think we're so unique, and our thoughts are so original, but they are not our thoughts at all, just drummed into us by countless religions, governments and organisations.
This is my favourite song of all time & it is absolutely Beautiful.
This song speaks to me on very personal level. The words are so powerful & it is a DAMN shame that no one really knows of Rodriguez
I became a big Rodriguez fan overnight after watching Searching for Sugar Man. I love this song and wonder what it means. I'd like to read some interpretations.
it seems about a prostitute or hookers life... he makes mentions thru many of his songs about "sluts/hookers/prostitues", I think he is imagining how she must feel
-huntsman or player(in the old days"vikings"/woodsmen, etc went for prositutes as did the men of 60's and 70's, "players" etc -con, convince the mirror- obviously these women are cons and also convince the mirror daily that what they do is ok and they look good enough to feel confidence -most use "substances" cocaine/amphetamines, etc, you could only IMAGINE what hooker street life might have been in late 60's, in detroit. -think of the repeition it must be to tell different men daily the same thing, or act out in sex, and would "whisper to" all the others