"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.
Should never have left the crystal lake.
For parties full of folks who flake,
Italian leather winter games
Retired by the duraflames.
The crystal lake it only laughs,
It knows you're just a modern man,
It's shining like a chandelier,
Shining somewhere far away from here.
I've gotta get out of here...
And find my way again.
I've lost my way again.
Should never have left the crystal lake,
For areas where trees are fake,
And dogs are dead with broken
Hearts, collapsing by the coffee carts.
The crystal lake it only laughs,
It knows you're just a modern man,
It's shining like a chandelier,
Shining somewhere far away from here.
I've gotta get out of here...
And find my way again.
I've lost my way again.
For parties full of folks who flake,
Italian leather winter games
Retired by the duraflames.
The crystal lake it only laughs,
It knows you're just a modern man,
It's shining like a chandelier,
Shining somewhere far away from here.
I've gotta get out of here...
And find my way again.
I've lost my way again.
Should never have left the crystal lake,
For areas where trees are fake,
And dogs are dead with broken
Hearts, collapsing by the coffee carts.
The crystal lake it only laughs,
It knows you're just a modern man,
It's shining like a chandelier,
Shining somewhere far away from here.
I've gotta get out of here...
And find my way again.
I've lost my way again.
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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.
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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,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Anybody think this song could have something to do with Lake Tahoe?
Lake Tahoe is 97% pure glacial water, therefore it could be called the "crystal lake"... and based on the fact that Grandaddy is from Modesto, it wouldn't be a stretch if this song was about Lake Tahoe, which is about three hours at MOST away from Modesto.
Also the duraflames signify a campfire... also the Italian leather is hot to wear in Tahoe and the Winter Games were held in Squaw Valley on the north side of the Lake.
To me, it all adds up to be about Tahoe.
The Tahoe theory sounds really good. I thought this song was more about leaving the modern society and seeking comfort in nature.
@SMUSER17019091 <br /> Same, in the music video it shows them being lost and confused by modern society/cities after landing there in their flying/spinning shack. The Crystal Lake could signify the crystalline, blue landscape of the clusters of skyscrapers like in the video, and also be a place that's pure and simple and nature-y that he longs for. It's like in Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Society, he's glad he's back in the country having a beer playing guitar after barely surviving his trip into town
Another song built around the recurrent theme of leaving ther country for the city and all it's vices and ugliness. The crystal lake is that place in the country where the water looks like crystal it's so still and clean and reflects everything. He was a fool and left it for all the fake people where even the trees seem unnatural and the dogs die from the lack of reality, collapsing by another Starbucks.
I thought it was about success in the rock industry cos if the rich life-style and the schmoozing. broken-hearted dogs are artists who arent successful and so leave the industry. the crystal lake is where they are from, the people that get them and a place where they are local heroes.
the crystal lake is where they recorded the sophtware slump.. the lyrics are fairly self explanatory. Another song based round modern vs country folk, i suppose you can interperate these lyrics differently but the main message i get from these lyrics is that ' somewhere far away from where the average modern-day people's lives are based is a beautiful place that they're too pre-occupied to ever see and that being happy and successful doesnt mean working on wall street or in some well paid city job '
Great Great Song. Jason rocks.
I like this song alot, the sound affects could get a little scary if you listen to it at night(I think so)
"Should never have left the crystal lake For parties full of folks who flake"
i love this song....i captures my feelings perfectly about a certain boy and a certain lake, that we should have never left, because things aren't the same between us now that we're back in the city.
i love this song, i had the cd and then it got totally scratched up and now it doesn't play :( i like the video too, it really is about leaving nature for the city, and cities are scary(i live in the country, hate big cities).
...the dogs are dead with broken hearts, collapsing by the coffee carts...
Dogs have a heart attack if they eat caffee...not sure what that means here.
I think the Tahoe theory makes sense and is really valid with the details you provided. Maybe Grandaddy was inspired by Lake Tahoe to write this song since it ties in with the nature theme. As for the meaning, I think the coffee carts represent industrialization or commercialism and its effects on the dogs, which represent the environment. With all the pollution and careless disposal of harmful chemicals and oil spills, industrialization is bringing down nature and entire ecosystems. The song's about recognizing the simple beauty and pleasures of nature in a world that seems to value synthesized technology more than pure nature.