"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.
You know that time in your life
That single moment that defines exactly who you are
Well that only stings for a second
Go!
I ain't no Frank Sinatra
I ain't no Sammy D
But I'm a rodent, baby
And I got a love song to sing
I'm cool like Miles Davis
Hot just like Jerry Lee
When it comes to rocking, baby
No one's better then me
A music man can't keep his girl
This boy travels around the world
Her picture framed in his sleep
He'll be home in 3 weeks
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
She ain't no Elvis Presley
But I think that she moves just like the king
I guess she's feeling lonely
So she walked out on me
She ain't no Paul McCartney
But she's the insect in me
Crawling through my body, baby
Her poison travels through me
A music man can't play anymore
Can't place his calls from the road
Without her voice he can't eat
He'll be dead in 3 weeks
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
I slayed the dove
Betrayed by love
Can't find the vein
To escape the fame
I slayed the dove
Betrayed by love
Who killed Kobain?
His girl or pain?
I got a year till I'm turning twenty-seven
I got a manic whore and a healthy habit
I've been fucked by labels that had to have a record
Am I destined for this or will I buckle under pressure?
A music man can't save the world
But you get his heart and his soul
Transmitted through the song that he sings
I hope you bought this one from me
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
I ain't Mick Jagger
I ain't no Bobby D
But I'm a poet, baby
And I got a rhyming scheme
Feel pain like Johnny Cash
And I cry like Frankie V
When it comes to loving you
I need therapy
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
That single moment that defines exactly who you are
Well that only stings for a second
Go!
I ain't no Frank Sinatra
I ain't no Sammy D
But I'm a rodent, baby
And I got a love song to sing
I'm cool like Miles Davis
Hot just like Jerry Lee
When it comes to rocking, baby
No one's better then me
A music man can't keep his girl
This boy travels around the world
Her picture framed in his sleep
He'll be home in 3 weeks
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
She ain't no Elvis Presley
But I think that she moves just like the king
I guess she's feeling lonely
So she walked out on me
She ain't no Paul McCartney
But she's the insect in me
Crawling through my body, baby
Her poison travels through me
A music man can't play anymore
Can't place his calls from the road
Without her voice he can't eat
He'll be dead in 3 weeks
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
I slayed the dove
Betrayed by love
Can't find the vein
To escape the fame
I slayed the dove
Betrayed by love
Who killed Kobain?
His girl or pain?
I got a year till I'm turning twenty-seven
I got a manic whore and a healthy habit
I've been fucked by labels that had to have a record
Am I destined for this or will I buckle under pressure?
A music man can't save the world
But you get his heart and his soul
Transmitted through the song that he sings
I hope you bought this one from me
Hey, I feel like I'm crashing
Bright lights flashing
What time does my flight leave?
Sounds to me like engines failing
I'm done praying
I'm ready
I ain't Mick Jagger
I ain't no Bobby D
But I'm a poet, baby
And I got a rhyming scheme
Feel pain like Johnny Cash
And I cry like Frankie V
When it comes to loving you
I need therapy
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
I'll see you at the funeral
Lyrics submitted by The Josh
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
I love this song, it has that cocky, testosterone fueled feel, like an Every Time I Die song. Definitely top two on the album for me.
As far as meaning goes it seems pretty straightforward. Just a straight up story, it could be Joe talking about himself and how the music industry is really wearing him down. Comparing himself to the greats knowing he can't really match up.