"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.
"Okay, here we go"
Yeah, I'm afraid, like I'm scared as a dog
But I've got a new song, and I want y'all to sing along
Sing along
See this is the way that we walk on a sunny day
When it's rainin' inside and you're all alone
All alone, yeah!
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Take a little trip, hater, pack up your mind
Look forward, not behind, then you'll see what you find
I caught a sucker dying 'cause he thought could rhyme
Now if his momma is a quarter, daughter must be a dime
I gotta meet her, don't take no shorts, I don't use abbrevi-
-ation, I don't even play the radio neither
Only if I need to know the sports or the weather
I'm a cool type of brother, but yep, your head I'll sever from the neck
See ain't nothing changed, hit the stage
Set a date, sucker, in battle we can engage
I'll slice you, wife you, marry you, divorce you
Throw the Porsche at you, is what I'm forced to do
With my back against the wall, crack his back, y'all
Naw, it ain't went nowhere like havin' hair with stylin' gel in it
Throw a curl in it
Dread that nappy shit up, throw a shell in it
Whatever floats your boat, or finds your lost remote
And this for them niggas workin' at the airport who got laid off
I take my shades off
If you look straight in my eyes, you still might see a disguise
Because the whole-whole world-world
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Player, I grind, my focus is crime
Raw with the rhyme, I'm slick with the slime
My words are diamonds dug out a mine
Spit 'em, polish, look how they shine
Glitter, glisten, gloss, floss
I catch a beat running like Randy Moss
Ride that bitch off like a brand new horse
I'm rollin' my stone, gather no moss
Mommy, I'm coming, I hope you get off
Or rock your own boat like Aaliyah, then talk
Back, back, forth, forth
Get that sailor on course, course
Make that track a corpse, corpse
Rap, roll, utterly rocked
With my mouth to the mic and my hand on my cock
Cadillac OutKast, just won't stop
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Turn on the TV and everything is lookin' dismal
Went in the bathroom medicine cabinet, Pepto-Bismol
Need it for my stomach 'cause my tummy kinda aches
Like a junkie on withdrawal, fresh up off the plate
Wait, back to the enemy of the state
Is the Republicans or Democratic candidate?
Debate, now even the black box hold the fate
Clueless like Shaggy and Scooby befo' commercial break
Hate, extreme prejudice, let's dismiss this
If you want to, you can dub it to your hit list
I know you goin' to, we in this to replenish yo' musical wish list
When it come to this music, we stay relentless
Pursuing all that's pursuable
Doing, God-willing, all things that are doable
The only liable limitation is yourself, Dre
Set it on the right and I'll set it on the left, 'cause
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Yeah, I'm afraid, like I'm scared as a dog
But I've got a new song, and I want y'all to sing along
Sing along
See this is the way that we walk on a sunny day
When it's rainin' inside and you're all alone
All alone, yeah!
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Take a little trip, hater, pack up your mind
Look forward, not behind, then you'll see what you find
I caught a sucker dying 'cause he thought could rhyme
Now if his momma is a quarter, daughter must be a dime
I gotta meet her, don't take no shorts, I don't use abbrevi-
-ation, I don't even play the radio neither
Only if I need to know the sports or the weather
I'm a cool type of brother, but yep, your head I'll sever from the neck
See ain't nothing changed, hit the stage
Set a date, sucker, in battle we can engage
I'll slice you, wife you, marry you, divorce you
Throw the Porsche at you, is what I'm forced to do
With my back against the wall, crack his back, y'all
Naw, it ain't went nowhere like havin' hair with stylin' gel in it
Throw a curl in it
Dread that nappy shit up, throw a shell in it
Whatever floats your boat, or finds your lost remote
And this for them niggas workin' at the airport who got laid off
I take my shades off
If you look straight in my eyes, you still might see a disguise
Because the whole-whole world-world
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Player, I grind, my focus is crime
Raw with the rhyme, I'm slick with the slime
My words are diamonds dug out a mine
Spit 'em, polish, look how they shine
Glitter, glisten, gloss, floss
I catch a beat running like Randy Moss
Ride that bitch off like a brand new horse
I'm rollin' my stone, gather no moss
Mommy, I'm coming, I hope you get off
Or rock your own boat like Aaliyah, then talk
Back, back, forth, forth
Get that sailor on course, course
Make that track a corpse, corpse
Rap, roll, utterly rocked
With my mouth to the mic and my hand on my cock
Cadillac OutKast, just won't stop
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
Turn on the TV and everything is lookin' dismal
Went in the bathroom medicine cabinet, Pepto-Bismol
Need it for my stomach 'cause my tummy kinda aches
Like a junkie on withdrawal, fresh up off the plate
Wait, back to the enemy of the state
Is the Republicans or Democratic candidate?
Debate, now even the black box hold the fate
Clueless like Shaggy and Scooby befo' commercial break
Hate, extreme prejudice, let's dismiss this
If you want to, you can dub it to your hit list
I know you goin' to, we in this to replenish yo' musical wish list
When it come to this music, we stay relentless
Pursuing all that's pursuable
Doing, God-willing, all things that are doable
The only liable limitation is yourself, Dre
Set it on the right and I'll set it on the left, 'cause
'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you make that sound
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you're in the news
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da!)
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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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
The song kicks major ass! Love it! I think it has something to do with all the recent events, you know? How so many people watch the news knowing that most of it is bad:
"Cause the whole, world, loves it when you don't get down..."
"And the whole, world, loves it when you're in the news..."
"And the whole, world, loves it when you sing the blues..."