"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.
Yo, what's the deal, nigga?
Ain't nuthin' pa, we just here and all that
Trynna get our heads right, get this money right
You know what I'm sayin', you know how it go
Just another day in the hood (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Yo, yo
Aiyo, what a night, New York City, heard it goin' down
Friday night, midnight, Atlantic City
Slot machines, ding-ding-ding-ding-ding, when they ring off
Lock the doors, that's when Ghost just g'd off
Cigars, paisley robes
Four bitches guardin' me safely as we walk to the window
The cashier was scared, she asked for my info
The manager arrived with two guards, that's an insult
That's the coldest because
We talkin' bout five million dollars here, this ain't Play-doh dough
And your horoscope read, you gon' slay those hoes
We got Scribbles, Anthony Acid, rockin' the show
Special guest, Starks, Mark Ronson
First five hundred bitches went crazy when he let they aunts in
All he did was plug me in, I got the chargin'
Got they bras and ran through they whole apartment
(La-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
When I step into the party, all the ladies want to know
I'm hangin' wit the ballers, yeah, or my nigaros
I can tell you what they say haters, if you want to know
They say ooh wee
When I'm roll in my Mercedes, all the ladies want to roll
Be my Juliet and I can be your Romeo
If you actin' menace I can pick another hoe
Ooh wee (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
In the middle of the summer, or even twenty below
I'm a bad muthafucka, I'm way too fuckin' cold
Let me tell you what they say, when I'm pullin' off my drawers
They say ooh wee
Aiyo, aiyo
I came here to party, just to cut up a rug
Don't make me want to cut up a thug
Now play something for me, DJ, 'cause there's nothin' but love
Hosted by the ladies who lookin' for somethin' to rub
When we roll out, we roll on dubs, rollin' up bud
The Theodore Unit, we controllin' the club
Mamis, shakin' they ass, they throwin' it up
Like a B.E.T. commercial, I'm "wrappin' it up"
(la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
To the bang-bang boogity, up jump the funk
When I bang big bullets, I buck up a chump
I love to get a bitch that's stuck up the hump
Act thug, then my foot get stuck up your rump
Like boom! Y'all heard. I bust and that's my word
So if you get out of line, then your ass is mine
And I'mma run up in your house, put it in your mouth (nigga)
I might be new to the game (what?)
But it's a damn shame what a brother 'bout to do to the game
I got Mark Ron' backin' me up
I'm already on a song with Nate Dogg
That's why you wanna hate, dog?
Here's a warning: when Mark bring the horns in
Say the wrong thing and you won't see the morning
You gon' get dealt with, man. Yo Nate, man
Let's ride on these bitches. Come on!
Ooh, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
I can tell you what they say, haters, if you wanna know
They say ooh wee
Ain't nuthin' pa, we just here and all that
Trynna get our heads right, get this money right
You know what I'm sayin', you know how it go
Just another day in the hood (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Yo, yo
Aiyo, what a night, New York City, heard it goin' down
Friday night, midnight, Atlantic City
Slot machines, ding-ding-ding-ding-ding, when they ring off
Lock the doors, that's when Ghost just g'd off
Cigars, paisley robes
Four bitches guardin' me safely as we walk to the window
The cashier was scared, she asked for my info
The manager arrived with two guards, that's an insult
That's the coldest because
We talkin' bout five million dollars here, this ain't Play-doh dough
And your horoscope read, you gon' slay those hoes
We got Scribbles, Anthony Acid, rockin' the show
Special guest, Starks, Mark Ronson
First five hundred bitches went crazy when he let they aunts in
All he did was plug me in, I got the chargin'
Got they bras and ran through they whole apartment
(La-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
When I step into the party, all the ladies want to know
I'm hangin' wit the ballers, yeah, or my nigaros
I can tell you what they say haters, if you want to know
They say ooh wee
When I'm roll in my Mercedes, all the ladies want to roll
Be my Juliet and I can be your Romeo
If you actin' menace I can pick another hoe
Ooh wee (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
In the middle of the summer, or even twenty below
I'm a bad muthafucka, I'm way too fuckin' cold
Let me tell you what they say, when I'm pullin' off my drawers
They say ooh wee
Aiyo, aiyo
I came here to party, just to cut up a rug
Don't make me want to cut up a thug
Now play something for me, DJ, 'cause there's nothin' but love
Hosted by the ladies who lookin' for somethin' to rub
When we roll out, we roll on dubs, rollin' up bud
The Theodore Unit, we controllin' the club
Mamis, shakin' they ass, they throwin' it up
Like a B.E.T. commercial, I'm "wrappin' it up"
(la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
To the bang-bang boogity, up jump the funk
When I bang big bullets, I buck up a chump
I love to get a bitch that's stuck up the hump
Act thug, then my foot get stuck up your rump
Like boom! Y'all heard. I bust and that's my word
So if you get out of line, then your ass is mine
And I'mma run up in your house, put it in your mouth (nigga)
I might be new to the game (what?)
But it's a damn shame what a brother 'bout to do to the game
I got Mark Ron' backin' me up
I'm already on a song with Nate Dogg
That's why you wanna hate, dog?
Here's a warning: when Mark bring the horns in
Say the wrong thing and you won't see the morning
You gon' get dealt with, man. Yo Nate, man
Let's ride on these bitches. Come on!
Ooh, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
Ooh wee, ooh wee, (la-la-la-la, lalalalalala)
I can tell you what they say, haters, if you wanna know
They say ooh wee
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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,
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.
Oooh wee, this song is SO. COOL.