"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.
Where I was born, nothing is promised
My life is filled with less hope than the prophecies of Nostradamus
Omega marks the ending of predictability, birth of agility
Who will it be to test me and expose their futility
Iron like a lion from Zion stop tryin' so hard
I think I smell your brain cells fryin'
The family's behind you if you're worthy
Philosophies developed deep in the back streets of dirty Jersey
Troops with scully hats and Timberland boots
No more break-dancing for loot
Niggas hustle and shoot
In the Garden State, it grows stink weeds and criminals
Government funds are minimal
Oppression's subliminal
These days its hard for we to find peace of mind
Between insanity and sanity there lies a thin line
Some dwell in hotels with Jezebels
A stone age and fall a victim to the Plague
Unclean bad dreams of Wyclef being a fiend
One last kiss from my sweet serpentine
Eliminate then break
Navigate to rejuvenate thoughts of suicide with my nickel plate
Reconciliation came from my enemy-friend
Who said family don't bend
We stay silent till the end
Now who would think that your best friend
Would be your worst enemy and your enemy your best friend
Stare into the air inspiration from the atmosphere
I think of old ghosts, that ain't even here
Like Alex Haley take notes on this Biography
My family tree consists of street refugees
A ghetto land, where we talk slang
Stolen cars bang, like my chitty bang-bang sh-bang
For the heads, we ain't sellin' cocaine today
So refrain and let my family reign okay
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
But if I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
Nah fuck that
Fifty-two pick up, no cops around
Fifty-two thousand in cash, I don't want no savings bonds
Have the money ready, I smell something fishy
Your wife's in my custody
One false move and you'll find her body in the sea
That's the voice of the kid, that's the kidnapper
I do my work and then I catch my ticket to Jamaica
Meet me in the alley, make sure you bring the money
This ain't the seventies I'm far from a jive turkey
My circle it can't be broken
Open, cut-throatin', provokin'
Record promotin, tokens chokin' on they words like smoke and
Cause we soft spoken, doesn't mean that we've forgotten
Your bootie smells rotten and one day you will be gotten
See joker's is scatter-brained, their focus is unrestrained
My army is trained, you never find us beefin' in vain
Cause I've seen fire and I've seen rain
You claim fame, while modest niggas remain
I can judge a character like Ito judge a verdict
And if you bringin' threats I give you sex if I ain't heard it
See poppin' shit's about your attitude and how you word it
I've seen the biggest niggas on the block get murdered
And they deserved it
Or so the beast said when they served it
That shit is nervous
So what's my purpose?
Family, we must preserve it
Your number's retired
I hope you like the hell fires
You'll be screamin' Murder she Wrote like Chaka Demus and Pliars
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
But if I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
We used to jump rope
But now we gun hope
Bustin' shots off of project roof tops
Sending signals with the blunt smoke
Ock, don't talk a lot if you can't hold it in lock
If you think lips sink ships
Imagine full glock clips
I hold a glass of Remy Martin
Gettin' milks by the carton
Extortin' the light weights for thinkin' they important
The night pays and heavenly ways
Ain't nothin' free ah
Knowledge of your family and steppin' to your B.I.
You see I, stay on top of shit like a fly
My niggas reach when they got beef
Then jet down to South Beach
Yo mouthpiece is yappin'
I hear it in your rap and
My family is thick so that bullshit could never happen
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
If I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
My life is filled with less hope than the prophecies of Nostradamus
Omega marks the ending of predictability, birth of agility
Who will it be to test me and expose their futility
Iron like a lion from Zion stop tryin' so hard
I think I smell your brain cells fryin'
The family's behind you if you're worthy
Philosophies developed deep in the back streets of dirty Jersey
Troops with scully hats and Timberland boots
No more break-dancing for loot
Niggas hustle and shoot
In the Garden State, it grows stink weeds and criminals
Government funds are minimal
Oppression's subliminal
These days its hard for we to find peace of mind
Between insanity and sanity there lies a thin line
Some dwell in hotels with Jezebels
A stone age and fall a victim to the Plague
Unclean bad dreams of Wyclef being a fiend
One last kiss from my sweet serpentine
Eliminate then break
Navigate to rejuvenate thoughts of suicide with my nickel plate
Reconciliation came from my enemy-friend
Who said family don't bend
We stay silent till the end
Now who would think that your best friend
Would be your worst enemy and your enemy your best friend
Stare into the air inspiration from the atmosphere
I think of old ghosts, that ain't even here
Like Alex Haley take notes on this Biography
My family tree consists of street refugees
A ghetto land, where we talk slang
Stolen cars bang, like my chitty bang-bang sh-bang
For the heads, we ain't sellin' cocaine today
So refrain and let my family reign okay
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
But if I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
Nah fuck that
Fifty-two pick up, no cops around
Fifty-two thousand in cash, I don't want no savings bonds
Have the money ready, I smell something fishy
Your wife's in my custody
One false move and you'll find her body in the sea
That's the voice of the kid, that's the kidnapper
I do my work and then I catch my ticket to Jamaica
Meet me in the alley, make sure you bring the money
This ain't the seventies I'm far from a jive turkey
My circle it can't be broken
Open, cut-throatin', provokin'
Record promotin, tokens chokin' on they words like smoke and
Cause we soft spoken, doesn't mean that we've forgotten
Your bootie smells rotten and one day you will be gotten
See joker's is scatter-brained, their focus is unrestrained
My army is trained, you never find us beefin' in vain
Cause I've seen fire and I've seen rain
You claim fame, while modest niggas remain
I can judge a character like Ito judge a verdict
And if you bringin' threats I give you sex if I ain't heard it
See poppin' shit's about your attitude and how you word it
I've seen the biggest niggas on the block get murdered
And they deserved it
Or so the beast said when they served it
That shit is nervous
So what's my purpose?
Family, we must preserve it
Your number's retired
I hope you like the hell fires
You'll be screamin' Murder she Wrote like Chaka Demus and Pliars
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
But if I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
We used to jump rope
But now we gun hope
Bustin' shots off of project roof tops
Sending signals with the blunt smoke
Ock, don't talk a lot if you can't hold it in lock
If you think lips sink ships
Imagine full glock clips
I hold a glass of Remy Martin
Gettin' milks by the carton
Extortin' the light weights for thinkin' they important
The night pays and heavenly ways
Ain't nothin' free ah
Knowledge of your family and steppin' to your B.I.
You see I, stay on top of shit like a fly
My niggas reach when they got beef
Then jet down to South Beach
Yo mouthpiece is yappin'
I hear it in your rap and
My family is thick so that bullshit could never happen
Just walkin' the streets death can take you away
It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So defend the family that's the code to obey
If I fall asleep and death takes me away
Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay
At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play
So the family sticks together and we never betray
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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."
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,
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/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
these verses are such amazing poetry
'Now who would think that your best friend Would be your worst enemy and your enemy your best friend. '
:}
chorus speaks for itself . you prolly get what the song means ..
I think it's supposed to be "Shaitan" instead of "Shaton." Shaitan is the Islamic version of Satan (the names obviously being derived from the same root word.)
talkig about growing up roughing on the streets of new jersey. growing up with nothing but your family watching your back