"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.
Failed coercion
Leads to intrusion
And the blood forever runs
In her head
Into her hands
Between her legs
Where his mind lies
Power drives him in
To murder innocence
On the rack of his devices
Vices and designs
She will never scrub the stains
From her arms
From her neck
From her legs
Dirt will remain
As a reminder
Of his hateful face
Reach in
Rip apart the inner fibers
Of her soul
Boy you'll never know how it feels
To fear the shame
Feel free to walk down
Any dark street without fear
Without shame no one is
Going to touch you
And you don't need protection
She shouldn't need protection!
And you can sit there
With that stupid smile on your face
And try to convince me that you care
Defined by your power
Defined by her body
The innocence she feels
Everybody else contains
It's lost it's gone
But I guess it doesn't matter anyway
Reach in
Rip apart the inner fibers
Of her soul
And you can sit there
With that stupid smile on your face
And try to convince me that you care
Defined by your power
Defined redefined fucked tortured and discarded
And if he ever cares
Maybe he will feel ashamed
For everything he's stolen
For all the trust she gave
Possessed and broken
She cries but it's not our problem
Pull down your goddamn blinds
He will never think he's wrong
She will never feel quite right
You will never think he's wrong
You will never think you're wrong
She will never feel quite right
Leads to intrusion
And the blood forever runs
In her head
Into her hands
Between her legs
Where his mind lies
Power drives him in
To murder innocence
On the rack of his devices
Vices and designs
She will never scrub the stains
From her arms
From her neck
From her legs
Dirt will remain
As a reminder
Of his hateful face
Reach in
Rip apart the inner fibers
Of her soul
Boy you'll never know how it feels
To fear the shame
Feel free to walk down
Any dark street without fear
Without shame no one is
Going to touch you
And you don't need protection
She shouldn't need protection!
And you can sit there
With that stupid smile on your face
And try to convince me that you care
Defined by your power
Defined by her body
The innocence she feels
Everybody else contains
It's lost it's gone
But I guess it doesn't matter anyway
Reach in
Rip apart the inner fibers
Of her soul
And you can sit there
With that stupid smile on your face
And try to convince me that you care
Defined by your power
Defined redefined fucked tortured and discarded
And if he ever cares
Maybe he will feel ashamed
For everything he's stolen
For all the trust she gave
Possessed and broken
She cries but it's not our problem
Pull down your goddamn blinds
He will never think he's wrong
She will never feel quite right
You will never think he's wrong
You will never think you're wrong
She will never feel quite right
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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."
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
i don't get the end "you will never think he's wrong"... the overall opinion here is that "rape is wrong" so why wouldn't we think he was wrong... :!