"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.
And too much, much is never enough
I had you and I gave you up
And no, I don't know where my mind where was for months
I woke up, I cashed in all of my luck
It walked in hand with your trust
And everybody was kissing fire
And we all got burned
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
Caught you having a laugh
Did you catch me have the last?
And I've been smiling like this for days
Just to make up for my mistakes
In the dark, I watch everyone disappear
And I'm beginning to let myself down
And I'm pushing everyone that was in, out
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
And nobody knows what it's like
When we die on the inside
And nobody knows what it's like
To be one of a kind
When we die, do we feel alive?
When we die, do we feel alive?
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
And nobody knows what it's like
When we die on the inside
And nobody knows
I had you and I gave you up
And no, I don't know where my mind where was for months
I woke up, I cashed in all of my luck
It walked in hand with your trust
And everybody was kissing fire
And we all got burned
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
Caught you having a laugh
Did you catch me have the last?
And I've been smiling like this for days
Just to make up for my mistakes
In the dark, I watch everyone disappear
And I'm beginning to let myself down
And I'm pushing everyone that was in, out
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
And nobody knows what it's like
When we die on the inside
And nobody knows what it's like
To be one of a kind
When we die, do we feel alive?
When we die, do we feel alive?
It'd be safer to hate her
Than love her and lose her
It'd be safer to hate her all around
And nobody knows what it's like
When we die on the inside
And nobody knows
Lyrics submitted by romanceisdead
Safer To Hate Her Lyrics as written by Dan Flint Chris Miller
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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."
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,
thats quite good and literal, i'm no more qualified than you are to comment on the meaning of the lyrics and to be honest you might be right considering that it's all linked back to his past relationship. I just have a few ideas that spring to my mind when i listen to this song. I personally find it to be more bitter and about regret. Almost as if saying that he wishes that he had hated her rather than loved her because it would have been 'safer'. Obviously there was a lot of pain in the break up which is making him question whether loving her was worth it at all.
Obviously the whole first verse is about regretting the way that he let the break up happen and I feel like the verse;
'Caught you having a laugh Did you catch me have the last? And I've been smiling like this for days Just to make up for my mistakes In the dark, I watch everyone disappear And I'm beginning to let myself down And I'm pushing everyone that was in, out'
Is about him reacting to her after the fact and realising that he is acting petty and bitter but he can't help it because she inspires those feelings inside him and he can't make how he felt about her and how much losing her is affecting him (at the moment) for the worse.
This song to me, is about that stage after you end things badly with someone and you still cling to the memory and everything seems to remind you of them and because of that everything hurts. If you've been around someone at this stage than you'll agree that they tend to make terrible company and you can't get through to them that it will all pass. To them it seems like it will never get better and they generally wish things along the lines of "I wish i had never meet her/him".
In that reading i think that the line;
'When we die, do we feel alive?'
relates to;
'And nobody knows what it's like When we die on the inside And nobody knows what it's like To be one of a kind'
And is basically a round-about way of saying; is this really good for us to feel this way?/is it really worth being in love when we're risking getting our hearts broken? kinda like we don't feel good about it so why do we put ourselves through it. Which reflects the thoughts of those people who are going through a tough break up before they realise that they move on and grow as people from it.
Like I said, my opinions are no more valid than yours but thats how i see it.