"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.
She says there's ants in the carpet, dirty little monsters
Eatin' all the morsels, pickin' up the rubbish
Give her effervescence, she needs a little sparkle
Good morning TV, you're looking so healthy
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Sex on the TV, everybody's at it
The mind gets dirty as you get closer to thirty
He gives her a cuddle, they're glowin' in a huddle
Goodnight TV, you're all made up and you're lookin' like me
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Can you eat her? Yes, you can
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Oh, end of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Eatin' all the morsels, pickin' up the rubbish
Give her effervescence, she needs a little sparkle
Good morning TV, you're looking so healthy
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Sex on the TV, everybody's at it
The mind gets dirty as you get closer to thirty
He gives her a cuddle, they're glowin' in a huddle
Goodnight TV, you're all made up and you're lookin' like me
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Can you eat her? Yes, you can
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
We all say, "Don't want to be alone"
We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same
We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
End of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Oh, end of a century, oh, it's nothing special
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher
End of a Century Lyrics as written by David Rowntree Alexander James
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
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.
this is indeed a great song. to me, this song is about passing from one era to the next. "we wear the same clothes 'cos we feel the same", meaning that you try to think to yourself that your time is still around. i can imagine this is how damon felt entering the 00's and having the 90's britpop scene vanish into uncoolness. of course blur dealt with that well - it's oasis that are refusing to evolve and adapt
philpy1999 are you joking? The TV reference is clearly about how TV plays such a large part in our culture and how people always start and end their day watching it i.e. the Good morning TV and the good night TV lines. I think there's also a bit more than that but that's good for a starter! It's also a good way to signify the start and end of the song
I have a question for you guys, cause it is bugging me. What is actually meant by "Can you eat her, yes you can"? Because I have a dirty mind, all I can think of is that it is a reference to cunnilingus.
spot on!
The first verse details the narrator's significant other complaining about something as mundane and banal as having a problem with ants in their house. This supports the overall theme of the song, with life being so repetitive. So, to cheer her up, she has a drink (Give her effervescence/ She needs a little sparkle), and all the while the narrator sees what's on TV, as it seems to provide a more positive outlook than what he's experiencing, calling it "healthy".
The chorus is about the mundaneness of it all, how even at the turn of the century, we're still going to be living the same lives that we lead. We're all afraid of the change that could happen anyway, so we conform. We put up with the same people (by kissing dry lips, meaning that they've been kissed hundreds of times before). Basically, a new century means nothing, because its just the same old life.
The second verse continues the story, with the narrator seeing that television is filled with nothing but sex. It's then explained how the mind gets dirty (whether that means dirtier in the sense that it just gets withered or actually perverted, I have no idea) as you get older. The narrator describes the scene on TV, and then decides to turn it off. He proclaims that television is dirty, just like him. That's why he says that the mind gets dirty as you get closer to thirty, and why the line changes as Damon gets older. The point he's making is that his mind is getting dirtier (again, whether that be just aging or perversion who knows) just like television.
I have no idea what the bridge means.
So overall, the point of the song is to just give an overview of a normal lifestyle, and explain how that's just how life is. An end of a century signifies nothing, because life progresses regardless of such meaningless things as milestones.
Fantastic song!
one of the defining songs of the britpop era as far as i'm concerned, i can't believe noone else has commented!
such a lushious song, is the lead singer of blur the singer for gorillaz? i heard this somewhere but im not sure if its true.
@i.am.me yeah it’s true, Damon Albarn co-founded Gorillaz with comic book artist Jamie Hewlett. Damon sings and plays some music for the band- he is the main voice of one of the Gorillaz virtual characters called 2-D
this song is one of those tracks that defined britpop for me... along with suede's "metal mickey" and oasis' "champagne supernova"
Brilliant song, what else have you heard that starts with "theres ants in the carpet" haha
brilliant song, love it.
I heard that was apparently an actual quote from Damon's girlfriend. Cool eh.
yah one of their greatest hits .it's another typical modern life is rubbish song. damon will no longer write this type of topic
i.am.me - yes, Damon Albarn is the singer in blur and Gorillaz, and their new album's great.
This song is great, bit of a nostalgia trip too. The golden days of britpop.