"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.
I got up feeling so down
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now, oh yeah
I just looked in the mirror
And things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota, oh yeah
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Hey, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah
Yeah
Someone let the dogs out
They'll show you where the truth is
The grass is always greener
Where the dogs are shitting, oh yeah
Well, I'm feeling that I'm sober
Even though I'm drinking
Well, I can't get any lower
Still I feel I'm sinking
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah, ooh
Outshined, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
And yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now, oh yeah
I just looked in the mirror
And things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota, oh yeah
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Hey, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah
Yeah
Someone let the dogs out
They'll show you where the truth is
The grass is always greener
Where the dogs are shitting, oh yeah
Well, I'm feeling that I'm sober
Even though I'm drinking
Well, I can't get any lower
Still I feel I'm sinking
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah, ooh
Outshined, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
And yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
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.
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.
n an interview, Cornell said, "I've never really been biographical in my lyrics, so when I wrote a line like "I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota" from "Outshined", it just felt refreshing."Cornell on the song: I don't know how everyone else feels but I definitely go through periods of extreme self-confidence, feeling like I can do anything. Perhaps a fan will sense that, like in a performance, and the hero image creeps out. But then someone will say something, however insignificant, or I'll get something in my head and, all of a sudden, I'm plummeting in the opposite direction, I'm a piece of shit, and I really can't do anything about it. That's where "Outshined" comes from, and why I'll never consider myself a hero.
@sepultura1987 this is the real meaning. please up-vote this paragraph
@sepultura1987 Read the book TOTAL FUCKING GODHEAD . CHRIS himself said he looked in the mirror feeling like crap one day and thought looking California and feeling Minnesota. True story. Jibes with what he said about his confidence. Thr real story folks.<br />
I always thought that "where the dogs are shedding" was actually "where the dogs are shitting"
shit me too..."when the dogs are shitting" is so much cooler
I like to think that you guys are right, and Soundgarden is wrong.
@alda It probably was, but to keep it radio-friendly (and since the two words sound so similar), they likely changed the lyrics so that no one could say otherwise
@alda It says shitting though, unless it was changed.
That's part of the art, folks - writing lyrics that sound and mean different things at the same time. Chris Cornell and Scott Weiland the best lyricists of all time.
"I'm looking California And feeling Minnesota"
One of the best lyrics ever.
Great song
No, it's "shedding" according to the lyrics booklet for Batmotorfinger
yeah, but maybe that is so it wil get played on the radio
I've read that this is about Cornell feeling "outshined" by his deceased friend, Andrew Wood (singer of Mother Love Bone). Apparently Andrew was, in Cornell's opinion, a superior lyricist, vocalist and performer and this was a song to perhaps vent a little frustration about it but also maybe as a - somehow - humbling acknowledgement.
Eddie Vedder took the place of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood with Pearl Jam.
Man, I love this song. Cornell's voice is so awesome. I love the way he can hit those notes you thought you'd never hear again. I haven't heard singing like that since Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. Really awesome song.
Alda's right, it's "shitting". awesome song. i love the music in the chorus.
I fuckin love it when Chris shouts "Show me the power Child" fuck what a lyric and its so catchy and you just go along with Chris and you sympathize with him being outshined i think its from Chris's perspective and this is quite a personal song to him i feel and personally my fav SG song ever in FACT in my top 5 songs EVER!!
(It's about a preacher/priest etc etc losing his faith.)
I got up feeling so down I got off being sold out (Feels like it's all been a lie)
I've kept the movie rolling But the story's getting old now (He keeps up the preaching, but wants evidence, it's getting old to him)
I just looked in the mirror Things aren't looking so good I'm looking California And feeling Minnesota (He looks and see's a warm happy and sunny person, but feels cold like Minnesota)
So now you know, who gets mystified Show me the power child, I'd like to say That I'm down on my knees today (Telling God, so now you know i'm losing my faith, show me this power child you sent to save us, I'll even get down on my knees and pray)
It gives me the butterflies, gives me away Till I'm up on my feet again I'm feeling outshined (He feels a bit of the love of Christ inside, till he is able to stand on his own feet/faith again, he feels "otshined" by God and Christ, They have shown Him enough.)
Someone let the dogs out They'll show you where the truth is (Somebody let the people of sin out, the non-believers, which the bible calls "dogs" and they'll show you the truth so they say)
The grass is always greener Where the dogs are shedding (Because the grass is always better on the other side of the fence, where the dogs sin/play/party. . . they want him to some on over to their side)
I'm feeling that I'm sober Even though I'm drinking I can't get any lower Still I feel I'm sinking (He's falling for it, sin, and has fallen to a new low, as low as you can go, yet he gets lower. . . so he calls out to God to be shown the "power child" that he himself preaches about)
So now you know, who gets mystified Show me the power child, I'd like to say That I'm down on my knees today It gives me the butterflies, gives me away Till I'm up on my feet again I'm feeling outshined
(OR it could be about being jumked out on meth/horse, main lining, puking up, and the dope not taking effect anymore, take your pick :)
If it weren't for this song who knows who my favorite band would've been (probably some emo shit. ugh!!!) . I never really gave a rats ass about Soundgarden till i heard this on the radio, so i went out that night and bought the cd and the rest is history. this is just an all around awesome song. I can't pick a fav. Soundgarden song because there are just too many good ones (from all 3 of their major albums) but, this one really captures all the good qualities of Soundgarden, even Matt Cameron backing vocals and kick ass drum playing.