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.
You got a fast car,
I wanna ticket to anywhere,
Maybe we can make a deal,
Maybe together we can get somewhere,
Any place is better,
Startin' from zero, got nothin' to lose,
Maybe we'll make somethin',
Me myself I've got nothin' to prove.
You got a fast car,
I got a plan to get us outta here,
Been working at a convenience store,
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far,
Just 'cross the border and into the city,
You and I can both get jobs,
And finally see what it means to be livin'.
See, my old man's got a problem,
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He say his body's too old for workin',
I say his body's too young to look like his,
My mama went off and left him,
She wanted more from life than he could give,
I said, somebody's got to take care of him,
So I quit school, and that's what I did.
You got a fast car,
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision,
We leave tonight or live an' die this way.
CHORUS
'cause I remember when we were drivin',
Drivin' in your car,
Speeds so fast I felt like I was drunk,
City lights lay out before us,
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder,
And I, I had a feelin' that I belonged,
And I, I had a feelin' I could be someone,
Be someone,
Be someone.
You got a fast car,
We go cruisin', entertain ourselves,
You still ain't got a job,
Now I work in the market as a checkout girl,
I know things'll get better,
You'll find work and I'll get promoted,
And we'll move out of the shelter,
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs.
CHORUS
You got a fast car,
I got a job that pays all our bills,
You stay out drinkin' late at the bar,
See more of your friends than you do of your kids,
I'd always hoped for better,
Thought maybe together, you and me'd find it,
I got no plans, I ain't goin' nowhere,
So take your fast car and keep on drivin'.
CHORUS
You got a fast car,
Is it fast enough, so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision,
You leave tonight or live and die this way.
I wanna ticket to anywhere,
Maybe we can make a deal,
Maybe together we can get somewhere,
Any place is better,
Startin' from zero, got nothin' to lose,
Maybe we'll make somethin',
Me myself I've got nothin' to prove.
You got a fast car,
I got a plan to get us outta here,
Been working at a convenience store,
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far,
Just 'cross the border and into the city,
You and I can both get jobs,
And finally see what it means to be livin'.
See, my old man's got a problem,
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He say his body's too old for workin',
I say his body's too young to look like his,
My mama went off and left him,
She wanted more from life than he could give,
I said, somebody's got to take care of him,
So I quit school, and that's what I did.
You got a fast car,
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision,
We leave tonight or live an' die this way.
CHORUS
'cause I remember when we were drivin',
Drivin' in your car,
Speeds so fast I felt like I was drunk,
City lights lay out before us,
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder,
And I, I had a feelin' that I belonged,
And I, I had a feelin' I could be someone,
Be someone,
Be someone.
You got a fast car,
We go cruisin', entertain ourselves,
You still ain't got a job,
Now I work in the market as a checkout girl,
I know things'll get better,
You'll find work and I'll get promoted,
And we'll move out of the shelter,
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs.
CHORUS
You got a fast car,
I got a job that pays all our bills,
You stay out drinkin' late at the bar,
See more of your friends than you do of your kids,
I'd always hoped for better,
Thought maybe together, you and me'd find it,
I got no plans, I ain't goin' nowhere,
So take your fast car and keep on drivin'.
CHORUS
You got a fast car,
Is it fast enough, so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision,
You leave tonight or live and die this way.
Lyrics submitted by mrdave2001, edited by LeMarkyDussod
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Hayalperest
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Little Feat
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Tracy is a MASTER...few words, repeated initial "refrains"....powerful evocative images, a classic novel and timeless "moral" packed into this blues/traditional ballad of seven verses alternating with "chorus". Glitzy material possessions never could substitute for true character and those who rely on them will only drag down those who know better.
Agreed! :)
"Tracy is a MASTER" , same words I used to describe Tracy's artistry to my mother, yesterday.<br />
I agree with everyone's opinion about this song being about chasing a dream. At the end she's right back where she started despite her perseverance and hope that she could change her life for the better. The song lyrics go in a circle, and at the end she is older and in a different place, but she sees the same cycle beginning to repeat itself.
I also think it's important to notice how throughout the song, she is the one who keeps getting jobs, and keeps trying to get promoted. She says things about the person she's with hopefully eventually getting a job, but they never do, it's always her. It makes it seem like she is the only one trying in the relationship, and maybe all this person has to offer is a fast car. Maybe in the end, she finally realizes that a fast car is all this person is good for, and that she needs a lot more than that to change her life.
I do think this song is more about self growth / hope / realization than a relationship, but it's still an interesting perspective to look at. Beautiful, amazing, wonderful song!!!
@meowowsyd It's not a circle though, in the end she is not where she started; she is in a much better place a better position in life. In the beginning, she was trapped and had to rely on the other person, the guy with a fast car, to get out of her situation. As you stated, she had the dreams, she got the jobs and the promotions, she made a better life for herself and her family. In the end though she found her own feet, she's telling the bum to either straighten up or get out. She has a job that pays all the bills and she doesn't have to put up with his bs any more.<br />
@meowowsyd I just re-read the song because of your beautiful insights and perspectives.<br /> <br /> I noted that it was she who states "Maybe we'll make something? Me (myself,) I got nothing to prove."<br /> <br /> She then uses "you" to refer to the owner of the car. It is never otherwise in this song.<br /> <br /> She lulls him into the city, a life he may not have been able to afford.. Then she remembers her father. His wife left him, and left our main character with that father. She would never become the woman who left her man.<br /> <br /> She then speaks to the owner of the car, her husband. She says "do we leave tonight or live and die this way?" The images created in the first verse were a dream about how they would live, as imagined by her.<br /> <br /> As illustrated by the new scenario, that of cruising along the boulevard. This is exposed as a dream too, by the line "we'll move out of the shelter". Together they never left the ghetto.<br /> <br /> She still has her ambitions. Clearly a dream. The next two verses are how it really happened for our couple: She's with a drunk, however she feels just like she did when she was a little girl. <br /> <br /> She hates her husband's relations with his children because of it. She hates how kids are affected. Kids don't understand alcohol. <br /> <br /> She had always hoped for better, despite her saying she had nothing to prove (at the start of the song.)<br /> <br /> She sends him on his way, but she remembers her ambitions - the tension in this song - !!! <br /> <br /> It ends on the resolve: She is talking to herself, and asking her once again: You gotta leave or take hold, but either way, you gotta decide.<br /> <br /> Truly an inspired song by an artist who knows how to feel!
@Zygon I really don't want you to be right here, not saying you are are aren't. In the second to last verse, here's how I see it:<br /> <br /> "You got a fast car<br /> I got a job that pays all our bills"<br /> <br /> You have a fast car, that's all you have, that's all you've ever had. I have a decent job, I've grown from the put upon kid at the start of the song.<br /> <br /> "You stay out drinking late at the bar<br /> See more of your friends than you do of your kids<br /> I'd always hoped for better<br /> Thought maybe together you and me would find it"<br /> <br /> I always wanted a better life, but I wanted you in it. I thought of us as a team but you only saw yourself."<br /> <br /> "I got no plans I ain't going nowhere<br /> So take your fast car and keep on driving"<br /> <br /> I'm where I want to be in life. You, you are the same immature kid that you were when we first met. I'm not leaving, I'm not moving around, you can take that car and get out of my life.
@derf No one can be 'right' or 'wrong' about their own interpretation of a great song. We all see the images according to our own perspectives. There is grammatical correctness (for sure) and logical structure, so not just any interpretation fits... In the end, I saw the song through the experiences of my life, you through yours. That was Tracy's gift to us both, and to Tracy from the Muse?
@Derf <br /> <br /> I think meowowsyd got it right. Sure, she's more economically independent that she was. OTOH, she's repeating the actions of her mother. This isn't a song about individual in poverty. It's about the cycle of poverty.
Very insightful comments here. I agree that the song has strong elements which describe a cycle of poverty, alcoholism, desperation and single parenthood. I have tried to find out of Tracy says about the song, but she is notoriously tight-lipped about her work, and for good reason. It's very hard to be a critic or neutral observer of your own work, and doing so can interfere with the creative process. What stands out is a quote from a Q magazine interview in which she says, "Basically it's about a relationship that doesn't work out because it's starting from the wrong place." I think this says a lot. <br /> <br /> She (the protagonist in the song) is desperate to escape her situation. So much so that she latches onto a dream/fantasy/image of speeding off into the sunset with a man and his fast car leading to a better life. She holds on to this dream so tightly, that no matter how bad things get, she keeps believing that things will change for the better. She needs to believe this because her present situation so unbearable. It serves as both an escape and a source of motivation, but also blinds her to the reality that her partner lacks that motivation and is hampered by an alcohol addiction. When she finally pulls herself out of poverty, she realizes that she is in the same situation as her parents. Her partner is not an active participant in the relationship or the family. He is stuck in his own cycle of depression, addiction or what have you. For the benefit of herself and her family, she decides that he must either shape up or ship out. <br /> <br /> The relationship never had a solid foundation. It was not built upon mutual attraction and respect, rather, a need to escape and follow a dream of a better life. The car symbolizes this escape, but unfortunately, he wasn’t serious about working to accomplish the goals that she (not them collectively) formulated. He was just along for the proverbial ride.
I think the fact that this page has 115 comments speaks to the range and richness of this song. It touches upon so much like dreamy escapism, the blindness of love, the heartbreaking disappointment of dreams and so much more that others have mentioned. You can even entertain the interpretation made by someone that the whole song is a daydream that is crushed by reality at the end of the song. Top it off with the fact that the music is beautiful and now it's one of the greatest songs ever.
"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.
I find myself reacting much stronger to the imagery of the latter section of the verse you quoted.<br /> "And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder<br /> I had a feeling that I belonged<br /> I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone"<br /> To me, that latter part sums up all the bittersweet hope and energy present in the song, and is complemented by the first 3 lines (your quotes) that serve to build-up that last three lines.<br /> As for the chance to make it, only to lose it all...well, they say the journey is always more important than the destination...
@ballzofsno That's funny because I thought of The River when I heard this. Same artist totally different song... situations you can't control and being unhappy with the result.
This song is so powerful and every time I hear it I have to stop and listen to it. If you notice, it first says "Is it fast enough so WE can fly away?" Then at the end it says "Is it fast so YOU can fly away?" Thus saying, in the end, she wants him to leave her.
@Saraghina Not quite. She wants him to grow up. She wants him to be a man but if he wont then he needs to get lost.
This song is about the vicious cycle of life. The vicious cycle of poverty, of alcoholism, of single parenthood. The fast car symbolizes her dreams of making it out of this cycle.
Sadly it never happens. She ends up back in the same position she started, with nothing; the same job, poor, taking care of an alcoholic partner. She realizes that her dreams of getting out of this lifestyle are never going to happen and now she wants him to leave and take his fast car (all the broken promises and dreams) with him.
According to Chapman herself, that is exactly what the song is about.
@dontwaitforme Choosing the same kind of man that her father was.
A mother living below the poverty line because of the environment that she was forced to live in, wants to go anywhere else, which she thinks would be better than where she's at. Problem is, people who live below the poverty line are a part of the vicious circle. Low paying, menial jobs foster apathy, alcoholism, crime in most who are a part of her world that she comes to find out about. She thinks that love is the answer to her problems, seeing that there is that chance at a different life.
Eventually, her partner is a part of the "vicious circle", has no real ambition or cannot get the breaks and turns to other diversions that commonly cause strife within a domestic situation.
The song leaves with a hint of despair. The "Fast Car" that was supposed to come to bring her to a better place is now a symbol of escape for the "love" she thought she had to leave her in her place to get on with her life... Unfortunately, this last message seems to portend to the poor's plight in general.
A dark, disturbing, yet beautiful and bluesy song. Hearkens back to the old days of the "blues man"(apologies to Tracy) sitting and playing the guitar and rapping about the troubles in life.
This is how i feel about where i live and the people around me,I just wanna get out of here. Go anywhere.
wow me to
Me too. I live in Virginia. Think about it.
This song is so beautiful and powerful. i totally feel how tracy does. i know what she means when "You gotta make a decision, Leave tonight or live and die this way." i live in a small town and i am going to get out of here as soon as I can. i think my life would be a waste and pointless if i didnt make somehting of my life and get the hell out of here. this song gives me the feeling of being spontanious and just leaving just like im going to do someday. im going to jump in my car and never look back.i also know what she means when she talks about her father and how he needs her help. she wants to leave but shes got reality holding her back.this song gives me hope
The psychology of codependence.