"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.
Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now, wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water's getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire, how about yours?
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
All that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
(Go for the moon)
(Go for the moon)
(Go for the moon)
(Go, go, go for the moon)
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show, on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars
Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas?
I need to get myself away from this place
I said, "Yup" what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go (go!)
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now, wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water's getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire, how about yours?
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
All that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
(Go for the moon)
(Go for the moon)
(Go for the moon)
(Go, go, go for the moon)
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show, on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars
Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas?
I need to get myself away from this place
I said, "Yup" what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go (go!)
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
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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.
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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
this song is my favorite and i have been lucky enough to see them live
i just lost faith in people after reading this. tools.
i first heard this song on shrek and sat through all the credits to see who it was by
I think this song is about thinking outside of the box, seeing things differently and a willingness to push for change if they think its for the better. Especially in the current society we live in, where in the near future, people will have to face problems like global warming (The ice we skate is getting pretty thin, The waters getting warm so you might as well swim), the loss of our ozone layer (Judging by the hole in thesatellite picture), but will you, the listener just listen to what everyone else tells you "Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed) or are you gonna have the foresight to see beyond the discouraging advice you are given by other people who are closeminded assholes (She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb In the shape of an "L" on her forehead) because they don't like the type of different perspective you perceive? Will you sit around and let somebody tell you what you 'need' to know, or go find yourself out there in the world (Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb) and get some street smarts on your own? The part about the fellow who comes up to ask for the change shows the epiphany that can occur to one if they are willing to interpret things in other ways than face value, he totally misunderstands the guy but its because of his ambition (I could use a little fuel myself) to think of new ways to solve problems (We all could use a little change) because, after all, Only shooting stars (the only 'stars' that we see moving on their own in the night as opposed to the static stars that have stayed in the same places, unchanged for billions of years) break the mold. I'm sorry if I creep you out, but thats what I get from this song, and even with the overplaying with it, I still appreciate the meaning I perceive from it.
@slayerab Thank you! Finally! I had to wade through all of the critical mass to get to an interpretation.
this song is from a long long time ago, when you could use spare change for gas
This song I am certain has something to do with environmentalism. The lyrics mention peak oil, the ozone layer hole, and global warming. Yet it also has this nice beat to it, and some other subjects in it so it is debatable what this song is about. It is interesting.
its about having fun with life.. he's saying global warming is happening, dont be affraid, take your lemons and make lemonade
It's sort of a dorky popular song that was on the soundtrack for so many movies, but I still like the song now that it's been out of the main loop long enough to listen to without getting sick of it again.
It seems like a simple song in meaning. It seems to me that it's just about how as you get older people keep telling you how rough the world can be and how people get more cynical and bitter about the world as they age.
But as he says a couple times "Didn't make sense not to live for fun" And the line "Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb" he's saying how it doesn't make sense to focus on all the bad shit in the world and stop enjoying life. So don't let the world get you down, enjoy life no matter what.
I want this song to be played at my funeral.
This is a song about being a vampire. It may even be a song by a vampire to other vampires.
You see we are warned that choosing to become a vampire will ruin our lives and making such a choice would be foolish. ("Somebody once told me..." and "I ain't the sharpest tool...") Sure enough the world judges us but we know we made the right choice. ("She was looking kinda dumb with her finger and her thumb...")
"The years start coming and they don't stop coming" is just about living forever as a vampire. "Fed to the rules..." is about making the best of the cursed life. "...live for fun.." is the same. "Brain gets smart..." is about how intelligent you become as a vampire and yet do foolish things. "So much to do..." is pretty self explanatory "...Taking the back streets" is going hunting. "You'll never know..." is about how you don't know the vampire life until you choose it. "You'll never shine..." is about how great it is being a vampire.
The chorus is just about what you can do as a vampire like become a rock star and become immensely wealthy. So do it.
The global warming verse is warning vampires about the dangers of the onset of climate change and the hell that awaits them in the hereafter as well. But being a vampire rules all the same.
The gas verse is about feeding on that beggar.
This is a song about being a vampire. Perhaps from a vampire to other vampires. Thanks for reading.
wow what can i say? the first time i heard this song was about a month ago, on the soundtrack of the film "rat race", and from then it rapidly grew in my estimation, and it has now settled at my 5th favourite song ever, and that's facing a lot of competition. i have never heard a song like this, even by smashmouth themselves, and i just wanted to share my appreciation of what i know is an amazing song. i especially like the line "all that glitters is gold, only shooting stars break the mould". for me this song is about how someone realising that they're not perfect, but learning to appreciate life anyway, even though it has many flaws. if anyone disagrees i'd love to hear your ideas. Lou xxx "Giving money and power to Government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." -- P.J. O'Rourke