"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.
He just turned seventeen
When the moment came
He was standing on the corner
In the pouring rain
She pulled up along side
And rolled the window down
And said, ?Can I drive you
To some part of town??
he's sitting beside here
With a great big smile
The lady had class
And she stood out a mile
His heart was a beating
Like a big bass drum
Thinking at last
His time had finally come
He started Tallinn? fast
Trying to loosen up
But he felt kind a stupid
So he shut up
She said, ?don't think I'm fast
?Cause I'm really not?
But his fever went all wild
It was getting hot
She pulled into the driveway
Of a big brown stone
He was champing at the bit
And then her heart be told
She said, ?My husband?s working
He?ll be gong all day?
But he couldn't believe it
When he heard himself say
I'm getting cold feet
I'm getting cold feet
Lady, doncha hear me talking to you
Hey there's something that you can do
I'm so nervous I just might shoot you
I've got them cold, cold feet
Well, a couple years on
And our hero?s grown
He's a professional musician
With a band of his own
hadn't had much luck
With the girls that he meets
Might get another case of cold feet
He met a girl not too long ago
She thought she could change him but it wasn't so
As soon as she mentioned long term romance
He went into that same old song and dance
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
I'm getting cold feet , see-see-cold feet
Darlin? doncha hear me talkin? to you
No there ain't something you can do
I'm so nervous I just might shoot you
I've got cold, cold, cold, cold
Upset about it
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Go without, um
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Said I've got them cold, cold feet
He increased his quota
Of one night stands
It was a kind of complex
You understand
He would treat ?em real mean
He was low down and dirty
Now he's got to make some changes
'Cause he's nearly thirty
'Cause he had a dream, just the other night
He was standing in God?s ever-present light
And God said I?d like to let your life run it?s coarse
But you'd understand me having second thoughts
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
Listen doncha here me talking to you
I think you know what you have to do
You gotta make some changes
You got them
Cold, cold, cold, cold
They're getting rigid
Cold, cold, cold, cold
you're getting frigid
Cold, cold, cold, cold
I said you got them cold, cold feet
When the moment came
He was standing on the corner
In the pouring rain
She pulled up along side
And rolled the window down
And said, ?Can I drive you
To some part of town??
he's sitting beside here
With a great big smile
The lady had class
And she stood out a mile
His heart was a beating
Like a big bass drum
Thinking at last
His time had finally come
He started Tallinn? fast
Trying to loosen up
But he felt kind a stupid
So he shut up
She said, ?don't think I'm fast
?Cause I'm really not?
But his fever went all wild
It was getting hot
She pulled into the driveway
Of a big brown stone
He was champing at the bit
And then her heart be told
She said, ?My husband?s working
He?ll be gong all day?
But he couldn't believe it
When he heard himself say
I'm getting cold feet
I'm getting cold feet
Lady, doncha hear me talking to you
Hey there's something that you can do
I'm so nervous I just might shoot you
I've got them cold, cold feet
Well, a couple years on
And our hero?s grown
He's a professional musician
With a band of his own
hadn't had much luck
With the girls that he meets
Might get another case of cold feet
He met a girl not too long ago
She thought she could change him but it wasn't so
As soon as she mentioned long term romance
He went into that same old song and dance
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
I'm getting cold feet , see-see-cold feet
Darlin? doncha hear me talkin? to you
No there ain't something you can do
I'm so nervous I just might shoot you
I've got cold, cold, cold, cold
Upset about it
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Go without, um
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Said I've got them cold, cold feet
He increased his quota
Of one night stands
It was a kind of complex
You understand
He would treat ?em real mean
He was low down and dirty
Now he's got to make some changes
'Cause he's nearly thirty
'Cause he had a dream, just the other night
He was standing in God?s ever-present light
And God said I?d like to let your life run it?s coarse
But you'd understand me having second thoughts
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
I'm getting cold feet
See-see-cold feet
Listen doncha here me talking to you
I think you know what you have to do
You gotta make some changes
You got them
Cold, cold, cold, cold
They're getting rigid
Cold, cold, cold, cold
you're getting frigid
Cold, cold, cold, cold
I said you got them cold, cold feet
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Cold Feet Lyrics as written by R. Springfield
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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.
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."
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.