"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.
Well, my name is a number
A piece of plastic film
And I'm growin' funny flowers
In my little window sill
Don't you know I'm a two thousand man
And my kids, they just don't understand me at all
Well my wife still respects me
I really misused her
I am having an affair
With the random computer
Don't you know I'm a two thousand man
And my kids, they just don't understand me at all
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, your brain's still flashin'
Like it did when you were young
Or do you come down crashin'
Seeing all the things you'd done
All was a big put on
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your son
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, Proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
And you know who's the two thousand man
And your kids they just won't understand you at all
A piece of plastic film
And I'm growin' funny flowers
In my little window sill
Don't you know I'm a two thousand man
And my kids, they just don't understand me at all
Well my wife still respects me
I really misused her
I am having an affair
With the random computer
Don't you know I'm a two thousand man
And my kids, they just don't understand me at all
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, your brain's still flashin'
Like it did when you were young
Or do you come down crashin'
Seeing all the things you'd done
All was a big put on
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your son
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, Proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
Oh daddy, proud of your planet
Oh mummy, proud of your sun
And you know who's the two thousand man
And your kids they just won't understand you at all
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
2000 Man Lyrics as written by Michael Philip Jagger Keith Richards
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
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,
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.
I would agree with Pirtyfool22 on this one.
It suggests how new technology throughout the "space race" era and onward will fuel the business world. It suggests the dehumanization of our culture through our obsession for novel achievement, and self-improvements... as well as predicting the abstraction of individual identity that can see now in today's corporate environment: super-specialized jobs, cubicles and office plants, name tags and badges, etc.
2000 Man is engulfed in his career, he forgets his family, his wife, and kids. And they don't understand him.
Also note, the word "sun" shown here is just a phonetic play-on-words -- the actual lyric is "son". Like this:
"Oh daddy, proud of your planet / Oh mommy, proud of your son"
For those interested in contemporary perspective, check out the song "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot" by Grandaddy. It is a direct response to 2000 Man, written by an artist who's career in the 21st century lies within the software industry, and how he relates to 2000 man.
III