"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.
The fact that you’re ecstatic I’m here is insulting
Means you truly didn’t believe that shit that I was talking
That surprised look on your face is disgusting
My will is the law know that if you know one thing
I’m still that defensive child that can be touched by no man
Not even the preacher I’ll saw off his fucking hands
Here’s something that a square can’t understand
If they baptize me in a lake ill drink the water till its land
My skins full of bad dead men
Skins full of good women
Some I’ll see when I go some I’ll never see them again
Cause this hell were in
Feels like an uphill fight
Feels like I’m wrong when I’m right
Feels like the best nite of my life
Feels like my skins too tight
Feels like I’ve lost my might
Feels like the best nite of my life
Scars in my face and they’re never coming out
Like my friends in a cage and it’s all I think about
What made you think I wanted new friends?
My dead ones are just fine those were good men
My incarcerated ones will eventually come home again
You got bullets in your skin
You ain't been where I’ve been
Are you tired of hearing that yet?
Well I’m tired of hearing lines about violence and empty threats
And what you would do
And if and when
Flint Michigan
Step into the lion’s den
Cold, becoming
It’s crawling under my skin
It gets old and its numbing and it will never be the same way again
Means you truly didn’t believe that shit that I was talking
That surprised look on your face is disgusting
My will is the law know that if you know one thing
I’m still that defensive child that can be touched by no man
Not even the preacher I’ll saw off his fucking hands
Here’s something that a square can’t understand
If they baptize me in a lake ill drink the water till its land
My skins full of bad dead men
Skins full of good women
Some I’ll see when I go some I’ll never see them again
Cause this hell were in
Feels like an uphill fight
Feels like I’m wrong when I’m right
Feels like the best nite of my life
Feels like my skins too tight
Feels like I’ve lost my might
Feels like the best nite of my life
Scars in my face and they’re never coming out
Like my friends in a cage and it’s all I think about
What made you think I wanted new friends?
My dead ones are just fine those were good men
My incarcerated ones will eventually come home again
You got bullets in your skin
You ain't been where I’ve been
Are you tired of hearing that yet?
Well I’m tired of hearing lines about violence and empty threats
And what you would do
And if and when
Flint Michigan
Step into the lion’s den
Cold, becoming
It’s crawling under my skin
It gets old and its numbing and it will never be the same way again
Lyrics submitted by sokorny
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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.
Mountain Song
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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."
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Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Was he abused (sexually) when younger? Or otherwise abandonment issues from his father?
"Are you tired of hearing that yet?" ... a little (and this is only the second song on the album). Something about beating a dead horse comes to mind.