"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.
Barter and trade always passive aggressive
In spite of who you say you are
Smother my name under soil
In spite of who you say you are
Smother my name under soil
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I'm pretty sure these are the correct lyrics....:
Barter and trade always passive aggressive In spite of who you say you are Smother my name under soil & dirt In the earth Widen the distance apart Fuck an apology, I'm not sorry for anything I've been holding back my apathy for far too long You don't deserve what you haven't earned And your place in my heart has just grown so small
I'd like to think that you're worth my time But you embody everything that I hate Take a good hard look at what you see I've lost all my hope and all my faith Cause when I barely fuck up you just recoil and weep What do you want from me? I'm just a kid who got in too deep My walls are built up high forever bound to be steep I've got a birds eye view of all the secrets you keep
Try to tell me that you knew from the start That I would come to know that most would never enter my heart Because I'm colder than the others It's what sets me apart You manipulate and try to shine a light on my dark But this is my life. You should bounce & never call again No more strife. Go find it in the souls of the other men You know you're not as smart as you look I'm gonna take back what you took
I'd like to think that you're worth my time But you embody everything that I hate Take a good hard look at what you see I've lost all my hope & all my faith Cause when I barely fuck up you just recoil & weep What do you want from me? I'm just a kid who got in too deep My walls are built up high forever bound to be steep I've got a birds eye view of all the secrets you keep
You know you're not as smart as you look I'm going to take back what you took And you didn't know shit from the start And you didn't know shit from the start
Song is about HIV
Jk
It's about not caring for someone who hasn't earned the right to it.
I have no idea, but a lot of songs on this album seem to describe the same relationship that's in this song (roam, swords and pens, quicksand - possibly others as well). The albums title is 'Under Soil And Dirt' (which is referenced in this song) and there is a reoccurring theme of earth in these songs. He talks about being buried in different ways. In this song he plays with the word dirt as it's used in gossip about tarnishing personal details. Singer says this dirt being thrown on him just further separates them.
In a more abstract sense earth could be invoked with frequent references to buildings (structures made of earth) in this one he talks about steep walls he has built around himself. This could be stretching it though.
I like how the song portrays apathy in a positive context. Truth is, the singer appears to care a lot - especially true if many of these songs are about the same subject. But what the singer seems to have found is that you can care too much, or that not caring can be the best way of caring. Either way he seems to have embraced the colder parts of his personality and it sounds great. "You don't deserve what you haven't earned" it's a good mantra and it's fair. Thanks!
@Scabby d thanks for your thoughts on this