"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.
You can say the sun is shining if you really want to
I can see the moon and it seems so clear
You can take the road that takes you to the stars now
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through.
You can take a road that takes you to the stars now
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through.
I can see the moon and it seems so clear
You can take the road that takes you to the stars now
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through.
You can take a road that takes you to the stars now
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through
I can take a road that'll see me through.
Lyrics submitted by Sweet Blue Way
Road Lyrics as written by Nick Drake
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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.
Mountain Song
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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."
Punchline
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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.
As with most of Drake's work, he really has a theme that almost everyone seems to get in his songs. I mean, look at these comments, almost everyone's in agreement that this is contrasting perspectives in life. It is almsot realist vs. idealist, but I think it boils down to Nick commenting on people who try to help his morose, pensive mood. People can say "well it's all how you look at it" or "look on the bright side" as a fix to a bad mood. This is true in that our perspectives define our lives. However, it's just as hard to look at a bad situation in a good light as it is the other way around. I think Drake is highlighting that. He says, 'you say you can see the sun, but I say I can see the moon. If you think I should be able to see the sun, you try and see the moon.' It's almost beyond choice at that point. Its telling idealists that they're comments on changing perspective are just as hard for them, and that different things work for different people. The road is the real symbol of our paths in life. Drake plainly says, changing my path to meet yours will not change anything, my path will lead me to where I'm supposed to go. Changing paths is a naive piece of advice, trying to steer your path in a different direction is the real advice that should be given. Of course this stems into many existential discussions, but this is Drake's response to that happy-go-lucky, sugary advice to 'change how you look at life'. I can change how I look at the moon all I want, but I'll always see the moon.
My interpretation:
You see your cheery method of things I'll take my way, it works for me. (angst, realist stuff)
Given his history with depression, I would say that Drake is talking about how his view of the world differs from those that are "normal." He is acknowledging that they can take their own path because it works for them, but it will never work for him because of his condition.
People with depression many times are unable to go out a limb, take chances, etc. because they run the risk of shocking themselves. Sometimes they can't recover from such shocks. The path to the stars is the one that may be riskier but will have great rewards.
Drake was saying that he can't really shoot for the stars because he's just trying to get through each day.
That makes a lot of sense, especially given the fact that he never really got over his bad experience performing live.
It's hard to write simple songs and make them sound good. Nick does it so well.
The more a song uses universal symbols (sun, moon, road, stars), the more it can be interpreted...
One possibility that hasn't been mentioned yet: insomnia. I think I remember reading that Nick was an insomniac...
Also, I love "I can take the road that'll see me through." It's ultimately a song about being true to yourself.
this song makes me really happy about nick, you see when things just don't go as you want, or just go wrong, you always have to think that maybe is beacuase we all are different people and what may you think is ''good'' it is not for me. nick could sit under a tree and spend all the evening hearing a very gentle song of a bird and find it beautiful, and You may be surprised by the brightness of the sun but he could stare and astonish about the mysterous moon.
Let me add - one thing I like about this song is that he acknowledges the other person's viewpoint as valid. He seemed to be very fair in his assessments of other people, accepting them for who they were even though he never fit in with them. That's a healthy attitude for one as unwell as Nick.
I haven't been listening to him for very long - a few weeks - but I've immersed myself in his music. Every day a new song presents itself to me for consideration, and I realize how deceptively complex his "simple" songs are, and what a multilayered, complicated person Nick Drake was. God love him.
very simple, amazing lyrics.. i want to learn this song on the guitar.
I posted something similar on the page for Place To Be, but it seems to count for all of this album. It's so hauntingly beautiful, this song, and every other on the Pink Moon album
GOD it KILLS me to think about this beautiful, precious song-Why the fuck did he die? I wanted him to take the road that wouldve seen him through....
How do you know which road will see you through? Does anyone know?