"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.
You wanted everything, you got it, you got it
Your soul departed, ready to die instead
Surrender was days away, or not, I guess
This lonely place, time expires at a snail's pace
Taking the long way down, rudderless
Thread the needle, inches from death
Taking the long way down to Sassaquin to sweat the fever out
Then you got back from hell and brought it back with you
Every move is suspect, another crack in the division bell
"These things take time, you need to be patient"
As I'm pulling the legs off of spiders
It's all talk, it's all excuses
I'm put to the test when you take flight
Always blaming someone, don't blame me
You're staying off of it, you honest-to-god it
Now you're back where you started, in the bathroom hiding
Thought I was blinded, I did nothing about it
It's always you just got out
Your life's struggle but I can't shut my mouth
If this town's your highness, this time let it be me
Asking for the bullet between the king's eyes
Then you got back from hell and brought us back with you
Every move is suspect, another crack in the division bell
Saying "These things take time, you need to be patient"
As I'm pulling the legs off of spiders
You see me talking, but it's just sentences
I put to the death my own advice
Always blaming someone, don't blame me
I blame myself (for nothing)
I see so much of myself in you
Your soul departed, ready to die instead
Surrender was days away, or not, I guess
This lonely place, time expires at a snail's pace
Taking the long way down, rudderless
Thread the needle, inches from death
Taking the long way down to Sassaquin to sweat the fever out
Then you got back from hell and brought it back with you
Every move is suspect, another crack in the division bell
"These things take time, you need to be patient"
As I'm pulling the legs off of spiders
It's all talk, it's all excuses
I'm put to the test when you take flight
Always blaming someone, don't blame me
You're staying off of it, you honest-to-god it
Now you're back where you started, in the bathroom hiding
Thought I was blinded, I did nothing about it
It's always you just got out
Your life's struggle but I can't shut my mouth
If this town's your highness, this time let it be me
Asking for the bullet between the king's eyes
Then you got back from hell and brought us back with you
Every move is suspect, another crack in the division bell
Saying "These things take time, you need to be patient"
As I'm pulling the legs off of spiders
You see me talking, but it's just sentences
I put to the death my own advice
Always blaming someone, don't blame me
I blame myself (for nothing)
I see so much of myself in you
Lyrics submitted by deschainx
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
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.
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”
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
song about drug abuse/addiction
first verse - drugs offer everything you ever wanted, - You wanted everything, you got it, you got it. thread the needle - self explanatory. surrender was days away - addiction. sassaquin - a drug rehab? time going at a snails pace - from the pov of the friend.
back from hell, crack in the bell - = not high anymore, everyone else suffers hell from the withdrawal. the bell is a UK parliament bell rung when votes are due on devisive matters, ie an ultimatum of sorts (if you miss the bell, you can't vote)
take times/be patient. obvious - recovery takes time. pulling legs off of spiders - be patient, he's doing something worthwhile ( ie pulling the legs off of spiders rather than drugs - google the spider thing) but it takes time
staying off of it, honest to god it. pretty simple, swears to god no more drugs
'thought i was blinded, did nothing about it' perhaps the user thought the singer was blind to the use, or maybe the singer shut his eyes to it in pretence of it not happening, thus did nothing about it.
It's always you just got out Your life's struggle but I can't shut my mouth - always a reason to use, always no matter what it is. can't shut my mouth - saying yea, there's a reason, so what, i can't sit back and watch, i have to say somehting.
If this town's your highness, this time let it be me Asking for the bullet between the king's eyes - the town being the drug. the singer saying you know what, if you choose this then i can't help, i'm done, let me die cos i;m sick of it.
Then you got back from hell and brought us back with you Every move is suspect, another crack in the division bell Saying "These things take time, you need to be patient" As I'm pulling the legs off of spiders You see me talking, but it's just sentences I put to the death my own advice
pulling legs - again, trying to do somehting 'useful' other than drugs. 'talking but just sentences' he's noone without drugs. he damns his advice of being clean.
Always blaming someone, don't blame me I blame myself (for nothing) I see so much of myself in you
could be the user or the singer talking here, probaly a mix of both, back and forth
all this needs to be taken in context and understood with metphors, as the song is written. some parts are blindingly obvious who's talking, others not so. my opinion has not picked a person for each line, as should be obvious, it has double meanings throughout.
cannot believe this album has so few comments re: interprets.
get adding people, amazing album
@FacebookLoginIsBroken songs about members junkie brother a real piece of shit