"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.
Run desire run
Sexual being
Run him like a blade
To and through the heart
No conscience
One Motive
Cater to the hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacify this hungering
So grow
Libido throw
Dominoes of indiscretions down
Falling all around
In cycles
In circles
Constantly consuming
Conquer and devour
Cause it's time to bring the fire down
Bridle all this indiscretion
Long enough to edify
And permanently fill this hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
Feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
Overcome by your
Moving temple
Overcome by this
Holiest of altars
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I've lost my self control
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
Holiest of altars I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One chance
One kiss
One taste of you my magdalena I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss
One taste of you my black Madonna
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One taste One taste One taste of you my
Magdalena
Don't disturb
The beast
The tempermental goat
The snail while he's feeding on the Rose Stay frozen, compromising
What I will I am Bend around
The wind silently thrown about
Again I'm treading so Soft and lightly
Compromising my will I am I am I will
So no longer
Will I
Lay down
Play dead
Play your doe in the headlights locked down and terrified
Your deer in the headlights shot down and horrified when
Push comes to pull comes to shove
Comes to step around this
Self-destructing dance that never would've ended till I Rose,
I roared aloud here I will I am.
I am I will So no longer
Will I Lay down Lay dead
Play this
Kneel down
Gun-shy
Martyr
Pitiful I rose, I roared I will I am
4: Judith
You're such an inspiration for the ways
That I'll never ever choose to be
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How the savior has abandoned you fuck your God
Your Lord and your Christ
He did this
Took all you had and
Left you this way
Still you pray, you never stray
Never taste of the fruit
You never thought to question why
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you
Broken down and paralyzed
He did it all for you
He did it all for you
Oh so many many ways for me to show you
How your dogma has abandoned you
Pray to your Christ, to your god
Never taste of the fruit
Never stray, never break
Never, choke on a lie
Even though he's the one who did this to you
You never thought to question why
Not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ
As if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you
Did it all for you He did it all for you
Metaphor for a missing moment
Pull me into your perfect circle
One womb
One shape One resolve Liberate this will To release us all Gotta cut away, clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you And from pulling you down with me in here I can almost hear you scream Give me One more medicated peaceful moment One more medicated peaceful moment And I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Because I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you Keeping me from killing you
6: 3 Libras
Threw you the obvious And you flew with it on your back A name in your recollection Down among a million, say: Difficult enough to feel a little bit Disappointed, passed over. When I've looked right through, To see you naked and oblivious and you don't see me Well I threw you the obvious, Just to see if there's more behind the Eyes of a fallen angel, Eyes of a tragedy. Here I am expecting just a little bit Too much from the wounded But I see, See through it all, See through, And see you. So I threw you the obvious Do you see what occurs behind the Eyes of a fallen angel Eyes of a tragedy Well, oh well.. Apparently nothing. Apparently nothing at all. You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me at all
7: Sleeping Beauty
Delusional I believe I can cure it all for you, dear Coax or trick or drive or drag the demons from you Make it right for you sleeping beauty Truly thought I can magically heal you You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening Failing miserably to rescue Sleeping Beauty Drunk on ego Truly thought I could make it right If I kissed you one more time to Help you face the nightmare But you're far too poisoned for me Such a fool to think that I can wake you from your slumber That I could actually heal you.. Sleeping Beauty Poisoned and hopeless You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening Failing miserably to find a way to comfort you Far beyond a visible sign of your awakening And hiding from some poisoned memory Poisoned and hopeless Sleeping Beauty
8: Thomas
Humble and helpless Learning to pray Praying for visions to Show me the way Show me the way to forgive you Allow me to let it go Allow me to be forgiven Show me the way to let go Show me the way to forgive you Allow me to let it go Allow me to be forgiven Show me the way to let go Illuminate me, Illuminate me, Illuminate me, I'm just praying for you to show me Where I'm to begin Hoping to Hoping to reconnect to you
9: Renholder
(instrumental)
10: Thinking Of You
Lying all alone and restless unable to lose this image sleepless, unable to focus on anything but your surrender Tugging a rhythm to the vision that's in my head Tugging a beat to the sight of you lying So delighted with a new understanding Something about a little evil that makes that Unmistakable noise I was hearing Unmistakable sound that I know so well Spent and sighing with a look in your eye Spent and sighing with a look on your face like Sweet revelation sweet surrender sweet, sweet surrender Surrender... Tugging a rhythm to the vision that's in my head Tugging a beat to the sight of you lying So delighted with a new understanding Something about a little evil that makes that Unmistakable noise I was hearing Unmistakable sound that I know so well Spent and sighing with a look in your eye Spent and sighing with a look on your face like Sweet revelation sweet surrendering Sweet revelation sweet Thinking of you, thinking Thinking of you, Thinking of you, Thinking of you, thinking... Sweet revelation sweet surrendering Sweet revelation
11: Brena
My reflection Wraps and pulls me under healing waters to be Bathed in Brena Guides me Safely in Worlds I've never been to Heal me Heal me My dear Brena So vulnerable But it's alright Heal me Heal me My dear Brena Show me lonely and Show me openings To lead me closer to you My dear Brena (Feeling so) vulnerable But it's alright Opening to... heal... Opening to... heal... Heal.. Heal.. Heal... Heal me
12: Over
Been over, been over this before been over and over been over this before And over, been over this before so over this. Been over this. So over this. Been over this.
Over this before
Sexual being
Run him like a blade
To and through the heart
No conscience
One Motive
Cater to the hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacify this hungering
So grow
Libido throw
Dominoes of indiscretions down
Falling all around
In cycles
In circles
Constantly consuming
Conquer and devour
Cause it's time to bring the fire down
Bridle all this indiscretion
Long enough to edify
And permanently fill this hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
Feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
Overcome by your
Moving temple
Overcome by this
Holiest of altars
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I've lost my self control
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
Holiest of altars I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One chance
One kiss
One taste of you my magdalena I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss
One taste of you my black Madonna
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One taste One taste One taste of you my
Magdalena
Don't disturb
The beast
The tempermental goat
The snail while he's feeding on the Rose Stay frozen, compromising
What I will I am Bend around
The wind silently thrown about
Again I'm treading so Soft and lightly
Compromising my will I am I am I will
So no longer
Will I
Lay down
Play dead
Play your doe in the headlights locked down and terrified
Your deer in the headlights shot down and horrified when
Push comes to pull comes to shove
Comes to step around this
Self-destructing dance that never would've ended till I Rose,
I roared aloud here I will I am.
I am I will So no longer
Will I Lay down Lay dead
Play this
Kneel down
Gun-shy
Martyr
Pitiful I rose, I roared I will I am
4: Judith
You're such an inspiration for the ways
That I'll never ever choose to be
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How the savior has abandoned you fuck your God
Your Lord and your Christ
He did this
Took all you had and
Left you this way
Still you pray, you never stray
Never taste of the fruit
You never thought to question why
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you
Broken down and paralyzed
He did it all for you
He did it all for you
Oh so many many ways for me to show you
How your dogma has abandoned you
Pray to your Christ, to your god
Never taste of the fruit
Never stray, never break
Never, choke on a lie
Even though he's the one who did this to you
You never thought to question why
Not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ
As if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you
Did it all for you He did it all for you
Metaphor for a missing moment
Pull me into your perfect circle
One womb
One shape One resolve Liberate this will To release us all Gotta cut away, clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you And from pulling you down with me in here I can almost hear you scream Give me One more medicated peaceful moment One more medicated peaceful moment And I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Because I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you Keeping me from killing you
6: 3 Libras
Threw you the obvious And you flew with it on your back A name in your recollection Down among a million, say: Difficult enough to feel a little bit Disappointed, passed over. When I've looked right through, To see you naked and oblivious and you don't see me Well I threw you the obvious, Just to see if there's more behind the Eyes of a fallen angel, Eyes of a tragedy. Here I am expecting just a little bit Too much from the wounded But I see, See through it all, See through, And see you. So I threw you the obvious Do you see what occurs behind the Eyes of a fallen angel Eyes of a tragedy Well, oh well.. Apparently nothing. Apparently nothing at all. You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me You don't You don't You don't see me at all
7: Sleeping Beauty
Delusional I believe I can cure it all for you, dear Coax or trick or drive or drag the demons from you Make it right for you sleeping beauty Truly thought I can magically heal you You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening Failing miserably to rescue Sleeping Beauty Drunk on ego Truly thought I could make it right If I kissed you one more time to Help you face the nightmare But you're far too poisoned for me Such a fool to think that I can wake you from your slumber That I could actually heal you.. Sleeping Beauty Poisoned and hopeless You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening Failing miserably to find a way to comfort you Far beyond a visible sign of your awakening And hiding from some poisoned memory Poisoned and hopeless Sleeping Beauty
8: Thomas
Humble and helpless Learning to pray Praying for visions to Show me the way Show me the way to forgive you Allow me to let it go Allow me to be forgiven Show me the way to let go Show me the way to forgive you Allow me to let it go Allow me to be forgiven Show me the way to let go Illuminate me, Illuminate me, Illuminate me, I'm just praying for you to show me Where I'm to begin Hoping to Hoping to reconnect to you
9: Renholder
(instrumental)
10: Thinking Of You
Lying all alone and restless unable to lose this image sleepless, unable to focus on anything but your surrender Tugging a rhythm to the vision that's in my head Tugging a beat to the sight of you lying So delighted with a new understanding Something about a little evil that makes that Unmistakable noise I was hearing Unmistakable sound that I know so well Spent and sighing with a look in your eye Spent and sighing with a look on your face like Sweet revelation sweet surrender sweet, sweet surrender Surrender... Tugging a rhythm to the vision that's in my head Tugging a beat to the sight of you lying So delighted with a new understanding Something about a little evil that makes that Unmistakable noise I was hearing Unmistakable sound that I know so well Spent and sighing with a look in your eye Spent and sighing with a look on your face like Sweet revelation sweet surrendering Sweet revelation sweet Thinking of you, thinking Thinking of you, Thinking of you, Thinking of you, thinking... Sweet revelation sweet surrendering Sweet revelation
11: Brena
My reflection Wraps and pulls me under healing waters to be Bathed in Brena Guides me Safely in Worlds I've never been to Heal me Heal me My dear Brena So vulnerable But it's alright Heal me Heal me My dear Brena Show me lonely and Show me openings To lead me closer to you My dear Brena (Feeling so) vulnerable But it's alright Opening to... heal... Opening to... heal... Heal.. Heal.. Heal... Heal me
12: Over
Been over, been over this before been over and over been over this before And over, been over this before so over this. Been over this. So over this. Been over this.
Over this before
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by MCSMeister
Perfect Circle Lyrics as written by Garry Hughes Marc Cerrone
Lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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,
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.