"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.
Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all, but you never give
Shoulda known you was trouble from the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open
Why were they open? (Ooh-ooh)
Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash (ooh-ooh)
You tossed it in the trash, you did (ooh-ooh)
To give me all your love is all I ever ask
'Cause what you don't understand is
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
No, no, no, no-oh
Uh
Black, black, black and blue
Beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman
That's just what you are
Yeah, you'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car (ooh-ooh)
Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash (ooh-ooh)
You tossed it in the trash, yes, you did (ooh-ooh)
To give me all your love is all I ever ask
'Cause what you don't understand is
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
(No) if my body was on fire
(No) ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
(No) you said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never, ever, ever did, baby
But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Ooh-ooh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Ooh, you'd never do the same
No, no, no, no-oh
Take, take, take it all, but you never give
Shoulda known you was trouble from the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open
Why were they open? (Ooh-ooh)
Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash (ooh-ooh)
You tossed it in the trash, you did (ooh-ooh)
To give me all your love is all I ever ask
'Cause what you don't understand is
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
No, no, no, no-oh
Uh
Black, black, black and blue
Beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman
That's just what you are
Yeah, you'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car (ooh-ooh)
Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash (ooh-ooh)
You tossed it in the trash, yes, you did (ooh-ooh)
To give me all your love is all I ever ask
'Cause what you don't understand is
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
(No) if my body was on fire
(No) ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
(No) you said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never, ever, ever did, baby
But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Ooh-ooh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same
No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Ooh, you'd never do the same
No, no, no, no-oh
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
First I love this song and this video is soooo awesome. I wish they didn't give him that haircut though!
The song means the obvious but the video has lots of metaphors that I can't bypass because they put the lyrics' meaning on display. There is this guy who is very heart broken (suicidal) and the pain inside is the weight (piano) he drags around. This pain is weighing him down. As he is passing through this forsaken (poor neighborhood) road of heart ache he is alone. He encounters threats to his life- his own thoughts seem deadly, they are the tattooed thugs you see. They look dangerous and deadly and this being a metaphor for how his own thinking is trying to kill himself-threatening his life. His mind is telling him, die, kill oneself. He passes the thugs unharmed but frightened because his own thinking frightens him. Then when those thoughts subside the pity thoughts for the self starts this being the old man/hobo that runs at him and pointing at him mocks and laughs. You are an idiot how could you love her, she hates you and you want to kill yourself for that?" Some times when you are in that kind of pain ( I have) you'll tell yourself "ah you are fucking stupid, why do you feel this way?" Or you'll say things like " I cant believe you feel this numb, you are wasting away gosh you are an idiot!" Next point cars and people ( a woman dressed in all black) pass him aware but uncaring or oblivious to him and his pain/weight. Then comes up to the house where the stupid bitch has her man whore. Here is all the things he is singing about, he would do anything for her, even look for her carrying the piano, thus, this and what follows sets the entire lyrics into place. He looks up and sees them-realizing there is no going back, he then lowers his eyes then his head. Right then deciding to end it. He drags away that piano, as the pain deepens and the weight (life) becomes unbearable-he can barely push the piano on such steep uphill climb- the weight is going to crush him if he doesn't hold it. And the moment of death appears when the nun and the Priest slowly pass looking. Religion and God seem significant when crossing that road. Flashing red lights means extreme danger, train crossing means crossing over to the other side, him and his pain/piano/weight are right on the tracks and faces the end. The reason why he has the piano on the tracks is that this whole time the piano wasn't a material thing outside of him, it was the pain inside him which can not be separated ( cannot be left outside the tracks) and it must die with him.
Wow. Thank you so much for not bypassing the "metaphors" in this video. If you are over 15, I pity you.
Wow thanks for writing a book for us .
Well, i thoroughly enjoyed it :)
Litgirl, deep thinking. I've interpreted it differently but never like this, your interpretation of the video makes soo much sense.<br /> <br /> I agree, I love this song but I hate his hair-cut.