"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.
It's a mad world out here, I tell you
The world's gone stark, raving mad
Everyone in the world is mad
It's a mad crazy world
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With a circle on the floor he compels them to be pure
Pulls the beast out of his heart then impales it on a sword
Writes a prayer on some paper and then he nails it to the door
Just the good of you may enter by the mercy of the lord
Listen not to what he speaks, that's been the cursing of his cause
A seduction of his senses by the devils he adores
The unholy has him hostage and his soul is now at war
Follow not his secret knowledge it will bring you no reward
Shunning while in public disallow him from your stores
Have no part in his affairs 'less his pestilence be yours
Make scoundrels of the righteous and virgins into whores
But we must still pray that his colour will be cured
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With her eyes to the ceiling and a needle in her brain
He looks back into the crowd, wipes the blood and then explains
How she slipped from this existence to the realm of the deranged
Her becoming must be halted to reverse what she became
From the looseness of her tongue, to the pollution of her aims
To do nothing is barbaric, the solution is humane
You must destroy the mind and hopefully retrain
You torture out the wildness, then replace it with the tame
Blank slate when she recovers, she won't even know her name
Perfect wife and perfect lover, no resistance, no complaints
May God bless the scientific cure for the insane
Knew she couldn't go to school, but she thought that that should change
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With his crucifix inside his pocket said his mission is divine
Put his bible on the bed and then he touched on his behind
Told him take off all his clothes and put your penis next to mine
Now the little boy think it's normal because they do this all the time
With no life inside his body now he finally think he's safe
But they cut off all his fingers while they piss all in his face
He take pictures with his killers then they sneak back to the states
Now he sit next to the picture of his wife when she was raped
With the teleprompter rolling he looks right into the lens
Doesn't mention his redemption but absolves him of his sins
He forgives them in advance says that he will do again
My fellow Americans
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
The world's gone stark, raving mad
Everyone in the world is mad
It's a mad crazy world
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With a circle on the floor he compels them to be pure
Pulls the beast out of his heart then impales it on a sword
Writes a prayer on some paper and then he nails it to the door
Just the good of you may enter by the mercy of the lord
Listen not to what he speaks, that's been the cursing of his cause
A seduction of his senses by the devils he adores
The unholy has him hostage and his soul is now at war
Follow not his secret knowledge it will bring you no reward
Shunning while in public disallow him from your stores
Have no part in his affairs 'less his pestilence be yours
Make scoundrels of the righteous and virgins into whores
But we must still pray that his colour will be cured
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With her eyes to the ceiling and a needle in her brain
He looks back into the crowd, wipes the blood and then explains
How she slipped from this existence to the realm of the deranged
Her becoming must be halted to reverse what she became
From the looseness of her tongue, to the pollution of her aims
To do nothing is barbaric, the solution is humane
You must destroy the mind and hopefully retrain
You torture out the wildness, then replace it with the tame
Blank slate when she recovers, she won't even know her name
Perfect wife and perfect lover, no resistance, no complaints
May God bless the scientific cure for the insane
Knew she couldn't go to school, but she thought that that should change
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
With his crucifix inside his pocket said his mission is divine
Put his bible on the bed and then he touched on his behind
Told him take off all his clothes and put your penis next to mine
Now the little boy think it's normal because they do this all the time
With no life inside his body now he finally think he's safe
But they cut off all his fingers while they piss all in his face
He take pictures with his killers then they sneak back to the states
Now he sit next to the picture of his wife when she was raped
With the teleprompter rolling he looks right into the lens
Doesn't mention his redemption but absolves him of his sins
He forgives them in advance says that he will do again
My fellow Americans
I see diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Diamond-flooded demons
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Lamborghini angels
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
Halos down with the doors flapping when they came through
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
A few errors in the lyrics (8/16/12) but I've submitted the changes.
This song... Wow.
I see is a homophone with "ICY", maybe meaning cold or evil demons (pretending to be angels?) and icy jewels and diamonds.
"Halos down" from the hook I think means that the priests and other "holy men" are truly vicious, also maybe a reference to "with a circle on the floor he compels them to be pure" from the first verse.
The term "Lamborghini angels" is tricky, but I think it means: although the rich are often perceived as righteous people, rather they are simply "diamond flooded demons" who have sold themselves for their status and riches...
Well, it's a deeply disturbing song, which I'm sure he intended to do. Lupe often calls out American materialism and usually advocates for the poor, the underdog, and the average citizen under the rule of a capitalist government.
First verse talks about exorcism, getting rid of the evil spirit which symbolized the materialistic mind set
Second verse talks about the mental corruption with women.
Third verse was about catholic priests who participate in scandalist activities that go against their religion, but then they go back and pray to god, and act like everything is ok. Then what is really interesting is at the end of the song, you hear JFK say "My Fellow Americans" he is the only president who was catholic.
This explanation comes from Lupe himself. The first verse is giving the scene of a preacher or someone of the sort giving an exorcism, or at least it would appear so. As it turns out, he isn't killing a demon, but the color of the afflicted person's skin.
The hook is supposed to be Lupe looking at an inkblot test. When asked what he sees he says he sees Lamborghini Angels, mixing mythology with materialism. When thinking about the new Medusa or Cyclops or whatever, he said he thinks of cars and other frivolous things. With the hoods down, the good part, the halo, is missing, and the doors, or wings, are flapping.
The last verse is about the Maywand District murders. Look them up.