"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.
Please find your place
The room grows scarce
Once we're all inside
The service can begin
For a moment, if you please
Forget what you believe
And naked, you will see
That we are all the same
But how, your kiss
Your words, your lips
Your flesh, your bones
Exactly what you need
Why should I feel intrusion?
Why be afraid of what we do not understand?
To eliminate exclusion
Cut out the differences to feel like we belong
Drum beats louder
Open up your head
Open up you primitive
Open up your mouth
Open up your head
Your sweet primitive
Open up your mouth
It's coming out
Out there, no food or drink
How many days do you think you'd last
On your diamonds and your pearls?
I'm not a king, no, not a hero, not a fool
I'm not perfect, I'm flesh and bone
And I'm exactly what you need
Drum beats louder
Open up your head
Open up you primitive
Open up your mouth
Open up your head
Your sweet primitive
Open up your mouth
It's coming out
Open up your head
Scream, you sweet primitive
Tell me what you said
But how, your kiss
Your words, your lips
Not a gun to your head
You're gonna die before you're dead
Not sad, when you're gone
But when your light's still on
Your dreams wont let you fly
Don't be dead before you die
Hunger, till fed, give love instead
When it gets inside, watch the dead man squirm
Above all things
If kindness is your king
Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end
The room grows scarce
Once we're all inside
The service can begin
For a moment, if you please
Forget what you believe
And naked, you will see
That we are all the same
But how, your kiss
Your words, your lips
Your flesh, your bones
Exactly what you need
Why should I feel intrusion?
Why be afraid of what we do not understand?
To eliminate exclusion
Cut out the differences to feel like we belong
Drum beats louder
Open up your head
Open up you primitive
Open up your mouth
Open up your head
Your sweet primitive
Open up your mouth
It's coming out
Out there, no food or drink
How many days do you think you'd last
On your diamonds and your pearls?
I'm not a king, no, not a hero, not a fool
I'm not perfect, I'm flesh and bone
And I'm exactly what you need
Drum beats louder
Open up your head
Open up you primitive
Open up your mouth
Open up your head
Your sweet primitive
Open up your mouth
It's coming out
Open up your head
Scream, you sweet primitive
Tell me what you said
But how, your kiss
Your words, your lips
Not a gun to your head
You're gonna die before you're dead
Not sad, when you're gone
But when your light's still on
Your dreams wont let you fly
Don't be dead before you die
Hunger, till fed, give love instead
When it gets inside, watch the dead man squirm
Above all things
If kindness is your king
Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end
Lyrics submitted by MidwestDrummer
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it feels to me as if he is saying wake up and realize that you cant just walk blindly in "faith" you must interact with the world see the flesh and blood of it. So many people only see the differences of everyone else and fail to see that underneath the difference of color or belief we are all flesh and blood and real and that we need each other as much as we need the intangible faith we cling so strongly to. that faith and humanity go hand in hand. i may be wrong but that is the beauty of DMB you can interperate in so many ways.
"I'm not a king, no, not a hero, not a fool I'm not perfect, I'm flesh and bone And I'm exactly what you need"
Gives a decidedly anti-religios vibe, no?
No it gives a sorta "imperfect" vibe. I would agree with you if the lines of "Time Bomb" or "Lying in the Hands of God" weren't so religiously ingrained. "Baby when I get home, I wanna pick up the pieces. Hammer in the final nail and lean me up against Jesus." However in "Lying in the Hands of God" he does take an anti-conversion: "Save your sermons for someone who's afraid of love" so I would agree with you I guess now, but would like to clarify pro-God, anti-religion.
OMG the WHOLE SONG
OMG the WHOLE SONG
OMG the WHOLE SONG gives a a wonderfully decidedly anti-religion vibe. Dave is famous for that and this song continues that tradition. Why I Am, also with anti-religion tones: "I grew from monkey into man, then I crushed fifteen million with a wave of my hand, I grew drunk on water turned into wine, Till I was slave and master at the same damn time" summarizes the last 200,000 years in 4 lines, and does not give a good recalling of the rise of the Christian faith.<br /> <br /> This song is so dark, primal, and I think, in a word, humanistic. The song starts out, encased in what you think is religion, and then Dave slips you his religion and philosophy, "And naked, you will see, That we are all the same" and "Above all things, If kindness is your king, Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end". Love, when injected into the "dead", those who have no love, no kindness, then makes the "dead" start to squirm and live again. Wonderfully dark imagery. <br /> <br /> Humanism is a worldview and a moral philosophy that considers humans to be of primary importance. "I'm not perfect, I'm flesh and bone, And I'm exactly what you need"<br /> <br /> newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2007/11/16/rock-star-dave-matthews-god-more-irritating-santa-claus
Well...yea, but I wouldn't get the wrong idea. I've spoken with Catholic priests that say they are against the modern institution of religion, not religion itself. Religion is about God the Creator not the mad-made institution. Can you name a problem that didn't come from the institutions of government, religion or economics? No.
Above all things If kindness is your king Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end
Amazing
I agree with what everyone has said so far... I wouldn't say he's straight up denouncing religion, but is definitely turning that page. I get the vibe that this song is basically preaching to everyone to not accept what is told to them simply because it was told to them. Find out for yourself... discover the truth on your own... because really it doesn't matter what another person says, if you don't believe it.
It seems to me that they're not really denouncing religion, but it has more of a social message. The song promotes ethnic and religious tolerance. Regardless of race, background, or faith we're all humans biologically and should treat each other so. "And naked, you will see That we are all the same"
It's not attacking religion. Just calling for people to open their eyes that we are ONE race.
Side note, the fact that the band members are ethnically diverse no doubt contributed to their point of view here.
i feel like its saying, you cant survive in this world with just religion, you need people to be truly happy.
"I'm not perfect, I'm flesh and bone And I'm exactly what you need"
something along those lines...i dont know haha
Does any one know what is being said in the last twenty seconds of this song?
It's a black southern guy singing his vegetables for sale:<br /> <br /> <br /> Sweet potatoes are for sale<br /> I have onions, I have garlic<br /> I have okra, I have green beans<br /> I have cucumbers<br /> I have Apple Pies<br /> I have bananas.
Yeah I was wondering the same thing cellordore. Turns out Dave explains it in his interview with Billboard a few months ago (tinyurl.com/cfv8vo), as well as the dog barking.
As for the actual words, with a hand from AntsMarching (tinyurl.com/q9vnmd), adding some words that I have no idea about (?) but that sound phonetically close. Maybe they're some kind of American food I'm not aware of? Anyway:
I have scalloped prawns (?) I have potato corn (?) Sweet potatoes, I've (?) potatos I have onion, I have garlic I have bell peppers I have green onion, tomato, cucumber, avocados I have onion and bananas (?)
Highlight of the album for sure :P
As iccredman explains below, this is a street vendor in New Orleans. He is credited on the album as 'Arthur Robison "Mr. Okra": Produce Vendor".
I can comment on the last 20 seconds of the song... I was really surprised when I heard it because my cousin's band in New Orleans, Morning 40 Federation, used this in one of their music videos about 3 years ago. Check out this link, youtube.com/watch . The intro to the video is the same guy. This is a New Orleans food vendor who drives around in his truck and advertises with a loudspeaker. Quintessential New Orleans!
Haha, cool. Thanks for giving the youtube link, that's really awesome. That guy must feel very honored to be in one of Dave's songs.
I definitely agree that this song is preaching to everyone, stripping away religiosity. <br /> <br /> Once we're all inside<br /> The service can begin<br /> For a moment, if you please<br /> Forget what you believe<br /> And naked, you will see<br /> That we are all the same<br /> <br /> I also think that in order for us to understand this message, Dave is saying that we have to strip away what we have been told by society and "religion." We must understand from our most pure, primitive state of being, before we were tainted by the world<br /> <br /> Open up your head<br /> Open up you primitive<br /> Open up your mouth<br /> Open up your head<br /> Your sweet primitive<br /> <br /> From the beginning, we have always needed "flesh and bone." In the biblical story of Adam and Eve, God made man and all of creation, but said "It is not good for man to be alone," and thus made woman. <br /> <br /> But how, your kiss<br /> Your words, your lips<br /> Your flesh, your bones<br /> Exactly what you need<br /> <br /> We are also promised in the bible that we can have heaven on earth if we follow the commands of Jesus. 2 John 1:6 says "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." <br /> <br /> In the first Ancient Church, there were many forms of inner and outer worship. Still, they all had “one language” and “their words were one.” ("Scream you sweet primitive, Tell me what you said") In other words they all shared one doctrine in general and in detail. Doctrine is one when all people have mutual love, or kindness. Mutual love or kindness causes things, though varied, to be one, since it makes one out of many different things.<br /> <br /> Above all things<br /> If kindness is your king<br /> Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end <br /> <br /> I have so much respect for Dave and his raw lyrics. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
I forget which concert he said it, but before playing Squirm Dave said "This song is a love song" Take it for what it's worth, I guess.