"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.
What holds you up,
when the earth lets you down.
What holds you up,
when gravity's corrupted.
I hope atoms are enough
cause eve sure ain't coming
the temperature's up in the afternoon sun
the hand threw the breaker
but the circut's still humming
the man tried to break her
but Miss. Switch kept on running
She ran from the papist,
she ran from the crown,
she ran to her study,
and wrote all this down:
"I want to keep the perfect flowers from the florist,
They grow in private deep inside the thickest forest
and when you snip them down
you almost hear them sigh.
There they're drying asking,
'why do we have to die?'"
What holds you up
when you're ready to go
what holds you up
while the seconds hand is sticking
can you feel them slip away
80,000 every day.
When one world says, "Wait!"
the next says,"Step aside."
When one planet says,"Stop!"
another says,"Let it ride..."
Fuck the boulders on the hill,
I see pictures in the clouds.
We've got little yellow pills.
We've got great big black shrouds.
We've got arms in the armory, Facts in the factory,
Sense in the century, This century of centipeedes,
this century lies.
I hope that we do better next time.
I would like to see the Tyrant's daughter,
so upset by what her father taught her.
I would like to see the tyrant's son,
so outraged by what his father's done.
I would like to see the tyrant's mother
so regretful she did not smother.
I would like to see the tyrants dad,
I'll bet he's glad.
Hide me from next February,
I've grown fat and I've grown tired;
Kick my ass now I was once admired.
I've grown tired and I've grown fat
but there's one more thing so much better than that,
I'm already gone.
when the earth lets you down.
What holds you up,
when gravity's corrupted.
I hope atoms are enough
cause eve sure ain't coming
the temperature's up in the afternoon sun
the hand threw the breaker
but the circut's still humming
the man tried to break her
but Miss. Switch kept on running
She ran from the papist,
she ran from the crown,
she ran to her study,
and wrote all this down:
"I want to keep the perfect flowers from the florist,
They grow in private deep inside the thickest forest
and when you snip them down
you almost hear them sigh.
There they're drying asking,
'why do we have to die?'"
What holds you up
when you're ready to go
what holds you up
while the seconds hand is sticking
can you feel them slip away
80,000 every day.
When one world says, "Wait!"
the next says,"Step aside."
When one planet says,"Stop!"
another says,"Let it ride..."
Fuck the boulders on the hill,
I see pictures in the clouds.
We've got little yellow pills.
We've got great big black shrouds.
We've got arms in the armory, Facts in the factory,
Sense in the century, This century of centipeedes,
this century lies.
I hope that we do better next time.
I would like to see the Tyrant's daughter,
so upset by what her father taught her.
I would like to see the tyrant's son,
so outraged by what his father's done.
I would like to see the tyrant's mother
so regretful she did not smother.
I would like to see the tyrants dad,
I'll bet he's glad.
Hide me from next February,
I've grown fat and I've grown tired;
Kick my ass now I was once admired.
I've grown tired and I've grown fat
but there's one more thing so much better than that,
I'm already gone.
Lyrics submitted by PLANES
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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.
Dreamwalker
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"'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."
Shouldn't it be "I hope ADAMs are enough" for the Eve reference in the next line to work? "This century of centipedes, THIS CENTURY IS KILLING ME, this century LIED." - Should also be fixed.