"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.
Leavin' home, out on the road
I've been down before
Ridin' along in this big ol' jet plane
I've been thinkin' about my home
But my love light seems so far away
And I feel like it's all been done
Somebody's tryin' to make me stay
You know I've got to be movin' on
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I've trusted
I've got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might bet busted
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Ridin' high I got tears in my eyes
You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Touchin' down in New England town
Feel the heat comin' down
I've got to keep on keepin' on
You know the big wheel keeps on spinnin' around
And I'm goin' with some hesitation
You know that I can surely see
That I don't want to get caught up in any of that
Funky shit goin' down in the city
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Carry me to my home
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's there that I belong
I've been down before
Ridin' along in this big ol' jet plane
I've been thinkin' about my home
But my love light seems so far away
And I feel like it's all been done
Somebody's tryin' to make me stay
You know I've got to be movin' on
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I've trusted
I've got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might bet busted
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Ridin' high I got tears in my eyes
You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Touchin' down in New England town
Feel the heat comin' down
I've got to keep on keepin' on
You know the big wheel keeps on spinnin' around
And I'm goin' with some hesitation
You know that I can surely see
That I don't want to get caught up in any of that
Funky shit goin' down in the city
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
Big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Carry me to my home
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's there that I belong
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Fast Car
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"'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."
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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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.
sleep you make some valid points..
first off let me say that this song is amazing and a creative masterpiece..
to me this song means a lot of things
i feel that the jet and 707 referance is a metaphor that is open for any individual interpretation
one individual theory of mine is that the jet is a referance to drugs, a major part of steve's life.. in music air planes have many times been a metaphor for getting high.. in music, subject matter and themes are rarely straight forward and spoon fed to the listener .. as in it should always be open to interpretation and what you make of it.. i feel jet airliner is a transitional crossroads type of song about moving on from an experimental phase and not getting "caught up in that funky shit goin down in the city" and also coming to realize that the "big wheel keeps on spinnin around" .. it is about moving on and taking charge of life and not getting "carried to far away" from reality when getting on the "707" haha
"dont carry me too far away because its here that i got to stay"
think about that....
if this sounds crazy then listen to the song fly like an eagle.....
This song was originally written by Paul Pena. Steve Miller's drummer played the drum track on the studio session. He told Steve to check it out and Steve asked if he could use it. Paul agreed and lived off of the royalties from this and his movie. The album he recorded the song on was shelved and not released by Sony until 2001.
Paul was a blind blues player from Boston. He was invited to play in Montreal at a festival. This was the first time he was away from home and first time on a plane. He wrote this song about the experience.
Wow, so few comments on this awesome band. Talk about classic rock.....Steve Miller Band has produced some timeless music. The song speaks to anyone moving from one phase of their life to the next. I am graduating from college in 2 months. I am deathly scared.
"Goodbye to all my friends at home Goodbye to people I've trusted I've got to go out and make my way I might get rich you know I might get busted"
That somes up my bittersweet feeling. I have to move on with my life. Say goodbye to my past, and find something new....
I so agree with you sleep....what an awesome band but nobody is writing about their songs??? I do agree with you....i do believe its about stages in your life that you go thru...i wonder what stage steve was going thru?
This song has one of the catchiest guitar riffs of all time
Please correct these lyrics. "Funky shit" not "Funky kicks." "Kicks" was swapped in for the radio-edit.
People, people, please. This is a cover song of Paul Pena's original (which is much better, by the way). If you don't know about him, check out the movie "Genghis Blues." This song is all about destination and motive: am I going where I want to be going?
haha yep, nemt, funky shit is the correct lyrics.
One of my favorite songs, another reason for me being an airplane fanatic. I wondered what type of jet airliner he talks about in the song, until I heard "707" (Boeing 707). Reminds me of how I recently left home and off to study in university. Awsome song and awsome intro for Book of Dreams.
Yeah I agree with the catchy guitar riff, in fact I liked the riff when it was played in A and was called CROSSROADS, I'm referring the Cream arrangement. I'm going to try to find a mp3 of the paul pena version.