"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.
I have been cruel and kind without knowing
I fell in the silence overwhelmed by these days
For I have been shown dear rulers, ruling all things
Thinking the world was mine to lay hold on
I breathe in the promise of maiden and man
But each have their on illusions to hold onto
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creations
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
Thinking the world was mine to be lost in
I ran with freedom and sank in between
For I have the path of wonder
There before me
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
I fell in the silence overwhelmed by these days
For I have been shown dear rulers, ruling all things
Thinking the world was mine to lay hold on
I breathe in the promise of maiden and man
But each have their on illusions to hold onto
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creations
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
Thinking the world was mine to be lost in
I ran with freedom and sank in between
For I have the path of wonder
There before me
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
I only want to be left to my own ways
The rulers of one leaving all things undone
I stood in the awe of the whole creation
Gathered among them was the morning
Giving all its rays
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
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."
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."
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.
Such a beautiful and sad song.
The first verse speaks to me very deeply about how someone broke my heart.
"I have been cruel and kind without knowing"
-> However much I tried and believed my actions and words were loving, it seems I did something wrong, but I will never know what because she was unable to express emotion openly or honestly.
"I fell in the silence overwhelmed by these days" -> I was going crazy for a month before we split, trying to work out what I had done to make her contact me less and less straight after we had been on a very expensive holiday that she suggested we go on. I finally straight out asked her when she telephoned me "are we ok?" and my heart felt like it ripped in two during the silence before she replied, "I'm not sure".
"For I have been shown dear rulers, ruling all things" -> This was probably the biggest, and certainly the most painful event/lesson of my life - I am not religious but in that state of anguish, I did beg any higher power that might be out there to stop the pain, acknowledge that I had heard their lesson, that I had been shown how wrong I was about love.
"Thinking the world was mine to lay hold on I breathed in the promise of maiden and man But each have their own illusions to hold onto" -> Describes how naively optimistic I was about the love I gave her. I never dreamed she could become so cold and indifferent to me so quickly. I had no idea feeling such a positive emotion for someone could leave such a deep, lasting scar in me.
"I only want to be left to my own ways The rulers of one leaving all things undone" -> I entered a major depression for about two years - just wanting to hibernate or die. My whole understanding of love, which I regarded as the most significant thing in life until that point, had been totally shattered.
"I stood in the awe of the whole creation Gathered among them was the morning Giving all its rays" -> The sense of being completely out of my depth in life, its meaning for me destroyed - and how the sun pointlessly carried on shining on me and whoever she went on with.
@musicnmeaning Wow. Take every line by line interpretation and reverse the pronouns. <br /> <br /> My husband of 17 years, the only man I had ever been with, the love of my life, the father of my two children, my constant companion and friend, out of seemingly nowhere, left me for my best friend. <br /> <br /> I've spent the better part of the last decade trying to understand how he could have shocked me, not just me, everyone that knew us, including his entire family. In the end, despite knowing I did nothing wrong, it is always we who blame ourselves. <br /> <br /> "If only he could have expressed to me what he was genuinely thinking...."<br /> <br /> Destroyed any ability to trust or love again. It's been 12 years. I have been intentionally alone for 12 years. I don't "date", despite an abundance of opportunity, which is flattering, but that is about it. One of the reasons I believed so strongly in our marriage was because of the intense sexual desire he had for me, nearing the point of obsession, that never wavered after 17 years. The last thing we did was have sex, as we usually did. And then he was gone. <br /> <br /> One of the many questions I have left unanswered is if he was addicted to my sex until he finally "broke free". Living with no closure is agony.