"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.
Have you had enough excitement now? More than you ever did?
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You maintained you was just a kid
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You too busy be livin' in the past
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
Now we are dealing with something else
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
What makes us how we are?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You maintained you was just a kid
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You too busy be livin' in the past
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
Now we are dealing with something else
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
What makes us how we are?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
Lyrics submitted by a town like paris
Smokin from Shootin Lyrics as written by James Edward Olliges Jr.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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
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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.
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Watch this video, it contains Jim James' opinion on religion. I am not saying I know what this song is about but after watching this, I am sure it is not about how great God and religion are.
youtube.com/watch
Very good link. Confirms for me that when he talks about God, it's not the god you learn about in most religions. It's everything.
well if u guys paid attention towards the end he pretty much saying he doesnt really understand religion.. as .. he doesnt believe in it or get it.. so i dont think this song has to do abt religion .. im still towards the whole break up song thing. <br /> <br /> the song is pretty much about some immature girl .. probably the same one he sings abt in " two halves" but towards the end hes just saying what makes us do the things we do?? and why do we do it?
This seems to be about someone who refuses to acknowledge the world around them, instead resorting to the 'Goddidit' mentality.
He chastises her for self-imposed ignorance and the rebuttal of his friendship/attempts at helping her: "who then was your savior? Who then was your friend? Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?"
And then criticizes her ego: "what is life in God? A perfect vision of the self?" (As if God could be nothing other than what we wish we were)
The second verse seems to be a rebuttal of most Christians' arguments against atheists. What makes us who we are? Science doesn't attempt to answer that question, but that doesn't mean the religious are correct by default: "faith can't prove what science won't resolve."
I don't see this as an out and out attack on religion, though. He seems to be mad at the girl, but understands why she believes: "the river's long. it is cold. it chills the body but not the soul." Religion gets her through tough times, despite what he thinks of it.
Song from the new album. Pretty effing good.
my interpretation is this is a song about a guy who is in love with a girl who doesn't want to settle down, and he's finally had enough of her antics.<br /> <br /> in the first verse, he's asking her if she will grow up and let him treat her like a woman. towards the end of it, he says to her; in what is more of an epiphany to himself, that she will never commit to him.<br /> <br /> second verse, he wants to know who she gives her heart out to. is it god? he always thought it could be him, but now he knows it never will be.<br /> <br /> the chorus is about his chase after her. the smoking gun representing his chase after her, but he was shooting at nothing. meaning his chase after her was worthless. <br /> <br /> third verse, he is asking god why she won't love him like he loves her, and is questioning if faith is enough for him(why god did you let me down?).
to runninwithagun .. dude! u said it perfectly.. i dont think its too much on religion how other people are saying .. its simply break up song! great lyrics
Lyrics for this are not all inclusive... here is the rest:
who makes my decisions? who reads all your thoughts? what makes us how we are? faith can't prove what science won't resolve kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore the river's long. it is cold. it chills the body but not the soul.
do you see my smokin' guns? they're smokin' from shootin'. smokin' from shootin' smokin' from shooting at nothing dear. do you live your life on the run? losing out on lovin asking for nothing running from something that isn't there
distance- coming or going? c'mon what are you waiting for? distance- growing or closing in on? anyway?
this is by far my favorite song on the new album, and it has made it into one of my favorites of all time. this is the kind of song that takes your heart by the hand and you're dragged along behind it.
i think we've all felt like we're living life on the run, losing out on lovin, asking for nothing running from something that isnt there. ... we've all felt that way.
"Faith can't prove what science won't resolve."
That is one of the best lines I've heard in a long time.
The second verse sounds like a person talking to someone else about God. That line, to me, means that faith can't prove that there is a God, or that would eliminate faith; it would just be truth. The second half means, to me, that science won't resolve "how we are" because there is no other explanation. The end sounds like he's talking about society, are we getting closer to armageddon, or are we getting further from God.
After listening to this song over and over again, I have a new opinion on its meaning.
I think it's a song written from God's perspective to someone on Earth.
He's asking her if she's ready to come to Him. He says that she never wanted to be treated like a woman, maintaining that she was just a kid because in some religions, there is an age of accountability. He's saying that this girl justified all of her actions by saying that she wasn't old enough to understand. For some reason or another, she never wanted to be committed to the present, she was living her life on the run.
The second verse is about God giving her reason to commit to Him. He is right here for her, committed to the present, although no one that exists (no person on Earth) is. The question, "What is life in God? A perfect vision of the self?" confuses me, but I'm open to suggestions... The chorus is about God simply saying that he exists. A smoking gun is an undeniable fact; therefore, God's asking if we see that He is undeniably real.
Maybe the girl finally commits, and that is the third verse. She says "Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore," telling Him to take over.
The end is God's final call to everyone. What are you waiting for? You're not getting any younger. You're only getting closer to death.
Aside from my interpretation, the song is amazing. I LOVE the way he makes his voice shake when he says "it is cold..." Anyone else hear that? He almost adds an "H" to it... "hit is chold..." Jim and the rest of the James gang are great.
to me its simply a break up song.. hes wondering when in the hell this girl is gonna grow up.. keep thinking of the past never looking forward.. later on in song is just talking about what makes us the way we are?? we do we do things the way we do it.. decisions in life.. immature decisions particularly and the chorus is obviously metaphorical.. smokin gun.. im the gun .. bullets coming out.. like the rage of emotion that is coming out of him.. why is love so hard?? so difficult? why are u running away from it? GREAT LYRICS by Mr. James.. probably the greatest newer band out at the moment
In my opinion he is saying goodbye to someone he does not see eye to eye with or agree with. But in a good way as is the Jim James way.