"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.
Hoo-hoo
This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here's what happened when they decided to cut loose
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie Sue took the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey, you know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today
Singin'
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord, go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Yeah, yeah, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord
This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here's what happened when they decided to cut loose
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie Sue took the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey, you know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today
Singin'
Go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord, go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Yeah, yeah, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Go on, take the money and run
Ooh lord
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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.
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.
As stories go, it's kind of sketchy.
It introduces the detective, and then never does anything with him. That always bothered me.
And I bet if someone broke into your house and shot you, you'd be pretty glad that we have taxpayer-supported police to track them down.
This song kicks ass if for no other reason than because it successfully rhymes "Texas" "facts is" "justice" and "taxes".
@DanVitaleRocks You said "successfully rhymes," the lie detector determined that that was a lie!
And, you know. Robbing things.
Why do you think Billy Mack is corrupt?
I hate most of Steve Miller's songs; he is a terrible lyricist and lazy as hell in every way. But I think I hate this one the most. He ripped the idea off, not from Woody Allen's parodic 1969 film of the same name, but from the 1972 movie "The Getaway," directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw. I'm not much into light-hearted humor centered around cold-blooded, self-centered sociopaths. Quentin Tarantino's films leave me cold.
As for Miller, he can play guitar. Like Clapton, he is best as a lead guitarist with someone else doing the heavy lifting of songwriting and singing. Even then his riffs and solos are often mind-numbingly repetitious. I turn off the radio when this song comes on. In fact, I do that with pretty much all his songs. The exceptions are "Living In The USA" and "The Stake." Those two I find listenable. Everything else is garbage.
@mbrachman In Quentin Tarantino movies, the "bad guys" either get some sort of comeuppance in the end (Honey Bunny and Pumpkin end up on the wrong side of Jules, for example), or they only visit their evil upon even worse "bad guys."
Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue are two amateur criminals who managed to turn a basic burglary into a murder and somehow, they're the heroes?
this is one of my favorite SMB songs... to me it's just about having a good time with someone ya love and just not havign a care in the world.
This song does kick ass. I went to the SMB concert this last Thursday and he didn't play this one. I heard all the other classics but kept waiting to hear about Billy Joe and Bobbi Sue but I never did...
"Hey Billie Joe?" "Yes, Bobbie Sue?" "I'm bored." "Me too. I'm sick of being dirt poor and livin' in a trailer." "I have an idea!" "What is it?" "Let's go rob a bank." "No way!" "Way!"
To me this song is about to rebels who decide to break free from the system and a corrupt cop is trying to catch them. Its basicaly like the "good guys" are actualy the bad guys and the two robbers are kind of legends that no one can catch...and of course robbing stuff.
@melloncollie45 They murdered a guy during a home invasion, and Billy Jack is trying to bring them to justice? How is he corrupt? He even acknowledges his duty to the taxpayers.
Damn i love those synchronized clapping