"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.
The love that you bring
You bring me along
The pain that you give
It gives me a home
Do you wanna stay by my side
Do you want me to turn and hide
We are disappearing inside
Seeing pictures of our goodbyes
When we, we believe
That our love will survive
The pain that you bring
Brings me all alone
Do you love me
Do you hate me
Do you wanna believe me
Do you think that you don't need me
Do you wanna deceive me
I can't think that it's all over, don't want to forget
I can't live the disappointment down, I want to repress your
Goodbye
Goodbye
The design, we broke the mold
The dreams when you see, that goodbyes aren't for long
Please follow me
To the borders of destiny
I don't want to break from your side
The falling ground screams, goodbye
Please follow me
To the borders of destiny
I don't want to break from your side
The falling ground screams, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
The design, we broke the mold
The dreams when you see, that goodbyes aren't for long
You bring me along
The pain that you give
It gives me a home
Do you wanna stay by my side
Do you want me to turn and hide
We are disappearing inside
Seeing pictures of our goodbyes
When we, we believe
That our love will survive
The pain that you bring
Brings me all alone
Do you love me
Do you hate me
Do you wanna believe me
Do you think that you don't need me
Do you wanna deceive me
I can't think that it's all over, don't want to forget
I can't live the disappointment down, I want to repress your
Goodbye
Goodbye
The design, we broke the mold
The dreams when you see, that goodbyes aren't for long
Please follow me
To the borders of destiny
I don't want to break from your side
The falling ground screams, goodbye
Please follow me
To the borders of destiny
I don't want to break from your side
The falling ground screams, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
The design, we broke the mold
The dreams when you see, that goodbyes aren't for long
Lyrics submitted by xxsystemofadownxx
Gate 21 Lyrics as written by Serj Tankian
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I agree with Musicophile, except it doesn't neccesarily have to be Serj speaking for himself. The lyrics may be portraying the feelings of a character who is going through grief.
As I see it, the narrator has decided he wants to spend the rest of his life with someone, for example by marriage. They spend a big part of their lives together despite pain and doubt, because they believe their love will survive.
Then his spouse wants a divorce. The rest is, in my opinion, what goes through his mind as he desperately tries to cling on to the life they could've had together. The design was to spend their lives together, but now they've broken the mold so he begs her to stay with him to the borders of destiny (forever). You could argue that as the song climaxes, he frantically jumps back and forth between the five stages of grief:
Denial: "I can't think that it's all over." "I want to repress your goodbye." Anger: "Do you think that you don't need me, do you wanna deceive me?" Bargaining: "Please follow me to the borders of destiny." Depression: "The falling ground screams goodbye." Acceptance: "The dreams when you see that goodbyes aren't for long."
@singdongdingdong The way you tied in the Kubler Ross was brilliant. It escaped me initially, but the emotionality is undeniable throughout. For me, it coincides with my divorce in many key emotions, raw and painful ones. However, different somewhat for me as i loved her but knew that staying in the relationships would be my downfall...'the falling ground screams goodbye'. So the inner conflict is enormous, as well as the isolation..'dissapearing inside' 'turn and hide'. I wonder if for the narrator it was also about this death of idea, 'the design' if you will? At any rate, if you're able to relate this to a personal experience, then this is strong stuff.
I have listened to this song time and time again and there have been a couple ways I have interpreted it, however there is only one way that seems the most accurate. A man get's married to the love of his life. He has a child. Later, he joins the military to serve his country. The song is about him going over seas and getting killed and the pain that his wife and child feel during his journey. "Do you wanna stay by my side Do you want me to turn and hide" This is from his wife's perspective. She feels betrayed by her husband for joining and betrayed by her country for sending him overseas. "Please follow me To the borders of destiny" This is the soldier/husband. It's a play on words. He travels over borders where his destiny is to be killed.
I could go through the whole song with their on and off perspectives, but if you listen to it with this mindset it makes a lot of sense.
These were the lyrics he had on the symphony album, I haven't had time to change them to the lyrics he decided to use in Imperfect Harmonies. Thanks though :)
Great song by the great Serj anyone have an idea from what perspective serjs talking about
Its simply abt a relationship that serj doesnt want to see ending, separation, but i think its beautiful thought the subject might seem not typical serj, or a bit not original. The way he expresses it is very original.
The lyrics are actually:
"The love that you bring You bring me along, The pain that you give, It gives me a home"
and:
"I can't think that it's all over Don't want to forget I can't live this disappointment down I want to repress your"