"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.
Now we can talk in confidence
Did you guess that we've been done wrong?
Lies jumped the queue to be first in line
Such a shameless design
He thinks he's well screened from the man at the top
It's a shame that his children disagree
They coolly decide to sell him down the line
Daddy's brainwashing time
He's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
He's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
She's quite enthralled with the childhood of yore
When a unit was a figure, not a she
When lovers chose each other, now the perks are due
Another memo to screw
She's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
She's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Can you wipe your nose, my child
Without them slotting in your file a photograph?
Can you sleep alone at night
Wake to find the scorching light of neighbor Jim?
He's come to turn you in
Another dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Another dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Another dodo, didn't hear it from me
Did you guess that we've been done wrong?
Lies jumped the queue to be first in line
Such a shameless design
He thinks he's well screened from the man at the top
It's a shame that his children disagree
They coolly decide to sell him down the line
Daddy's brainwashing time
He's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
He's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
She's quite enthralled with the childhood of yore
When a unit was a figure, not a she
When lovers chose each other, now the perks are due
Another memo to screw
She's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
She's a dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Can you wipe your nose, my child
Without them slotting in your file a photograph?
Can you sleep alone at night
Wake to find the scorching light of neighbor Jim?
He's come to turn you in
Another dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Another dodo, no no, didn't hear it from me
Another dodo, didn't hear it from me
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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."
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Come on people, crack a book now and then. The album's called 1984, no? So, -going out on a limb here- wouldn't it make since that this is all about the Thought Police, and the ordinary, everyday snitches - " He thinks he's well screened from the top. It's a shame his children disagree. They coolly decide to sell him down the line. Daddy's brainwashing time. "
In 1984 the children are most people's inevitable snitch, who turn them in for suspected "treason".
... Come on people, a little thing called literacy.
The album is called "Diamond Dogs" not "1984"
The album is called "Diamond Dogs" not "1984" but it's based on the book.
Actually, the album is called Diamond Dogs. Come on Sadwednesday, a little thing called literacy!<br /> <br /> Be careful who you belittle when you don't know what you are talking about yourself.<br />
@sadwednesday Even well read people may not have read that particular book you arrogant prick!!