"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.
Hace demasiados meses
Que mis payasadas no provocan tus
Ganas de reír
No es que ya no me intereses
Pero el tiempo de los besos y el sudor
Es la hora de dormir
Duele verte removiendo
La cajita de cenizas que el placer
Tras de si dejó
Mal y tarde estoy cumpliendo
La palabra que te di cuando juré
Escribirte una canción
Un dios triste y aburrido nos castigó
Por trepar juntos al árbol
Y atracarnos con la flor de la pasión
Por probar aquel sabor
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
Ni inocentes ni culpables
Corazones que destroza el temporal
Carnes de cañón
No soy yo ni tú ni nadie
Son los dedos miserables que le dan
Cuerda a mi reloj
Y no hay lágrimas que valgan para volver
A meternos en el coche
Donde aquella noche en pleno carnaval
Te empecé a desnudar
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Que mis payasadas no provocan tus
Ganas de reír
No es que ya no me intereses
Pero el tiempo de los besos y el sudor
Es la hora de dormir
Duele verte removiendo
La cajita de cenizas que el placer
Tras de si dejó
Mal y tarde estoy cumpliendo
La palabra que te di cuando juré
Escribirte una canción
Un dios triste y aburrido nos castigó
Por trepar juntos al árbol
Y atracarnos con la flor de la pasión
Por probar aquel sabor
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
Ni inocentes ni culpables
Corazones que destroza el temporal
Carnes de cañón
No soy yo ni tú ni nadie
Son los dedos miserables que le dan
Cuerda a mi reloj
Y no hay lágrimas que valgan para volver
A meternos en el coche
Donde aquella noche en pleno carnaval
Te empecé a desnudar
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
Sin rastro de nosotros
El agua apaga el fuego
Y al ardor los años
Amor se llama el juego
En el que un par de ciegos
Juegan a hacerse daño
Y cada vez peor
Y cada vez más rotos
Y cada vez más tú
Y cada vez más yo
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
It's been too many months since my goofiness invites you to laugh. It's not that I'm not interested but the time for kisses and sweat is the time to go to sleep. It hurts to see you going through the little box of ashes that the pleasure has left behind. Poorly and late I'm living up to the oath I made, when I swore to write you a song. A sad and envious God punished us for climbing together to the tree and getting lost in the flower of passion, for trying that flavor.
Chorus: Water puts out fire and flame [as in passion], the years "Love" is the name of the game in which two blind people play by hurting each other. And each time it gets worse and each time they're more broken And all the time more you And all the time more me And no sign of "us".
Not innocent nor guilty hearts destroyed by the storm canon meat. It's not me, or you, or anybody it's the miserable fingers that wind my watch. And there's no ammount of tears that can take us back into the car where that night in the middle of the carnival I began to undress you.
Chorus