"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.
Very Sad Sack is a sad bag
Very, very sad
Very Sad Sack
Withered Hope says she is his friend, to the end
But she doesn't like Very Sad Sack
Today Withered Hope saw the Very Sad Sack
And she tried not to meet his eyes
As he cut out a paper heart,
Pinned it to his arm,
Told her everything he was holding in his head,
This is what he said:
Withered Hope, I'm in love with you,
Wanna live with you, Withered Hope!
Are you gonna say to me, this can never be,
Are you gonna say to me, Withered Hope?
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Withered Hope says she has a soul mate
Living in a city in another state
But the soul mate thinks about a picture in a book
Of a beautiful crook
But the picture in the book, of the crook, is in love
With a brand new motorbike
But the motorbike doesn't like crooks
...it's in love with the Very Sad Sack!
Sad Sack, I'm in love with you,
Wanna live with you, Sad Sack!
Are you gonna say to me, this can never be,
Are you gonna say to me, Sad Sack?
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Very, very sad
Very Sad Sack
Withered Hope says she is his friend, to the end
But she doesn't like Very Sad Sack
Today Withered Hope saw the Very Sad Sack
And she tried not to meet his eyes
As he cut out a paper heart,
Pinned it to his arm,
Told her everything he was holding in his head,
This is what he said:
Withered Hope, I'm in love with you,
Wanna live with you, Withered Hope!
Are you gonna say to me, this can never be,
Are you gonna say to me, Withered Hope?
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Withered Hope says she has a soul mate
Living in a city in another state
But the soul mate thinks about a picture in a book
Of a beautiful crook
But the picture in the book, of the crook, is in love
With a brand new motorbike
But the motorbike doesn't like crooks
...it's in love with the Very Sad Sack!
Sad Sack, I'm in love with you,
Wanna live with you, Sad Sack!
Are you gonna say to me, this can never be,
Are you gonna say to me, Sad Sack?
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
Saaad Saaaaaaaaaack!
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Fast Car
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Cajun Girl
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
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:
"'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/
Great song. This is probably my favorite from the album. Here is my literal interpretation:
This is a song about a crazy love pentagon between a sad bag, a 'withered hope', a soul mate, a picture in a book of a beautiful crook, and a brand new motorbike. But here is my real interpretation:
The first half is about how Sad Sack is trying to tell Withered Hope that he is love with her, but she won't listen and just wants to be friends. Sad Sack can't believe that he has been turned down by Withered Hope. The second half follows a line of people (things?) back to Sad Sack, and it turns out that Sad Sack is doing the same thing to the brand new motorbike, hence the same lines repeated with Sad Sack replacing Withered Hope. I think what they are trying to say is that when someone turns you down, or when you are turning someone down, you always have to view it from the other perspective.