"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've been looking so long at these pictures of you
That I almost believe that they're real
I've been living so long with my pictures of you
That I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel
Remembering you standing quiet in the rain
As I ran to your heart to be near
And we kissed as the sky fell in, holding you close
How I always held close in your fear
Remembering you running soft through the night
You were bigger and brighter and wider than snow
You screamed at the make-believe, screamed at the sky
And you finally found all your courage to let it all go
Remembering you, fallen into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
You were stone white, so delicate
Lost in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
Remembering you how you used to be
Slow drowned, you were angels
So much more than everything
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Open my eyes, but I never see anything
If only I'd thought of the right words
I could have held on to your heart
If only I'd thought of the right words
I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you
Looking so long at these pictures of you
But I never hold on to your heart
Looking so long for the words to be true
But always just breaking apart
My pictures of you
There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more
Than to feel you deep in my heart
There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more
Than to never feel the breaking apart
My pictures of you
That I almost believe that they're real
I've been living so long with my pictures of you
That I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel
Remembering you standing quiet in the rain
As I ran to your heart to be near
And we kissed as the sky fell in, holding you close
How I always held close in your fear
Remembering you running soft through the night
You were bigger and brighter and wider than snow
You screamed at the make-believe, screamed at the sky
And you finally found all your courage to let it all go
Remembering you, fallen into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
You were stone white, so delicate
Lost in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
Remembering you how you used to be
Slow drowned, you were angels
So much more than everything
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Open my eyes, but I never see anything
If only I'd thought of the right words
I could have held on to your heart
If only I'd thought of the right words
I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you
Looking so long at these pictures of you
But I never hold on to your heart
Looking so long for the words to be true
But always just breaking apart
My pictures of you
There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more
Than to feel you deep in my heart
There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more
Than to never feel the breaking apart
My pictures of you
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Misstera, markydissod, Kitten1977
Pictures of You Lyrics as written by Simon Gallup Robert James Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
do you remember the first person you feel in love with? really, fell in love with? trusted with everything? do you remember the rush of hormones? the intensity? do you remember how it felt when it ended? the raw pain, the raw ache. you never hurt the same about anyone again. you'll never feel exactly the same about anyone else, again. there are new loves, different loves, but none that compare to your first love. the first cut is always the worst because you haven't learned how to cope and defend yourself from the pain yet.
that is what this song makes me think of- but in a poetic, elegantly painful kind of way.
@keighleycakes All that you say is true.<br /> For a man, its tougher (IMHO). Women tend to have this survival mechanism in which they get over a relationship much faster and get closure by focusing on their current priorities. I fell madly in love (we both did) with a girl when I was 23....Im 34 now and I still cry sometimes....we are still in love but have parted ways...she married...I went through a relationship then split...Im single and believe I will remain single till I die.<br /> In my deathbed, I will be thinking of her....and after so many years, will see her again...
@mochi_kei It's all I can think of when I think of the time I used to live.
@rubifen109 It's irresistible to stroke the feeling of longing; it makes one fantasize about what could have been and what could be - it's comforting in a way.<br /> <br /> But take it from me, sir, it will destroy you. If you find yourself new memories and experiences, you will find a girl who can be just as great, if not greater than the one that got away. Don't let the past eat you. Just trying to give words of encouragement.
@mochi_kei It's been over a month since I last saw her. What we had was just magical.. I'm going through the fist time like you said and this song just makes me cry everytime.
This song is of great personal importance to me. I was with someone back in the 80's for over 6 years. Because I was young and foolish, I let him go. After many years of regret and one failed marriage, I decided to take action. I put this song (and a few others) on an iPod shuffle and Fedexed it to him at work, praying that his Admin wouldn't intercept the pacakge.
There was no note, just a PostIt with a big question mark on it. I figured if he was still as hung up on me as I was on him, he would know who it was from. We reconnected shortly afterwards and have been together ever since. We initially wanted to have this song as the first song at our Wedding, but decided against it as it was just too personal and also because it is a sad song. Instead we had True by Spandeau Ballet.
@AprylM Wow....that is an amazing story, such a blessing!
@AprylM wish you the best of luck c:
This song reminds me so much of a girlfriend I had in high school 9 years ago that I cant get out of my mind. She loved The Cure and I hated them, now I love them because their songs remind me of her and how I should have never treated her like crap. So if you're out there Alissa, I'm sorry, I was young and dumb and I still have these pictures of you.
I feel you, but like, REALLY FEEL YOU haha, i met his girl as while ago, we realized we shared love for great music acts such as The Cure, David Bowie, Joy Division, The Smiths, etc., soon enough I had a crush on her, she went out of her way to be friends with me but I was too stupid and shy and we went on different paths, then I missed her but I couldn't do anything about it. What you're gonna do, right? Ha! that's life...
@eternally_down it may seem rather irrelevant, my current girlfriend is named Alyssa lul, I think about her as I listen to this song , I'm currently in high school c: Sorry, I know it has nothing to do with what your comment said, I just had the urge to share with you lul c:
@eternally_down, May I ask Alissa's last name. I had an ex-wife Alisa who loved "The Cure". She is from Louisiana.
its probably another song in referal to his drowned love?? ( i place question marks simply as this is a new revelation to me about robert smith .. i dont study him i just happen to have listened to his music for years)
why this song means so much to me??? my husband died a few years back now and its kinda scarey in a way to have a song so close to how it feels when i drag out the old album.. i couldn;t ever hold onto his heart as he died the night after we dicussed seperation.. "remembering you fallen into my arms.. and screamed at the make believe".. he was a big drinker "you were stone white so delicate lost in the cold"...and one night just before he died i found him outside in the dark naked and cold and shivering and bruised.. the night he died i told him not to go .. not to get on his bike.. he didn;t wish to leave either but said he had to but "if only i thought of the right words" even though he was an alcoholic he was still an amazing person .. just lost..
slow drowned you were angels so much more than everything hold for the last time then slip away quietly he finally found all his courage to let it all go.
@Ratzody I am terribly sorry for your loss....I am lost for words.<br /> I wish you the best and may God bless you and fill you with His Peace.
@Ratzody Your story just ripped at ny heart. I hope and pray you can find comfort from a loss that large.
"I've been looking so long at these pictures of you, That I almost believe that they're real." I love having pictures, but it is hard not to have anything to go with them.
This is a song about regret, not being able to find the right words, missing opportunities, asking too much. All he has left are his pictures of her.
bigger and brighter and WHITER than snow. thanx.
@get up kid FWIW the original liner notes (and the official Cure website) does say "wider than snow." I remember thinking it must be a typo, but still every time I listen to the song I hear "wider than snow." It is somehow more poetic than "whiter than snow" which is about as juvenile a metaphor you can come up with.
@get up kid what does wider than snow mean me then?
@get up kid 'Wider than snow' is a much better lyric. When there's been a proper snow fall it seems to stretch as far as the eye can see. It covers trees and buildings. Wideness works as an image.
@get up kid Haven't you seen Snow Wide and the Seven Dwarves? Oh man she is WIIIIIDE.<br /> <br /> Or "Seven Nation Army" by The Wide Stripes <br /> <br /> How about the Christmas song "Wide Christmas"?<br /> <br /> Grandmaster & Melle Mel - Wide Lines?<br /> <br /> Michael Jackson - Black Or Wide<br /> <br /> Chicago Wide Sox<br /> <br /> Billy Idol - Wide Wedding<br /> <br /> Wide Cliffs Of Dover<br /> <br /> Widesnake<br /> <br /> The Beatles - Wide Album<br /> <br /> Wide men can't jump<br /> <br /> Knights In Wide Satin<br /> <br /> Wide Walkers<br /> <br /> Widechapel
One thing all Cure fans must do, as hard as it may be, is to disregard everything Robert Smiths says about The Cure. He makes stories up. I'm a huge Cure fan, and i'm not trying to step on anyone's toes... but it's true. Let's all find the meaning together... but most importantly, find the meaning that means something to YOU!
i think it's about death .. someone died and he misses them. tha'ts how i see it..
@emogreen I think if it is about death, it's about the suicide of a lover and the guilt the remaining partner feels: 'If only I'd thought of the right words'
What impresses me most about this song is the things he manages to say without saying them...
Does any song better say both "I love you," and/or "I miss you" without actually using those words?
maybe it's about having to watch someone change, and still being in love with whoever they used to be? if someone you're really attached changes a lot, you do go through an experience of loss, even if the person is still physically near you.
it would work with the "pictures of you" image (he's only in love with the memories of her, but still needs her -- "the pictures are all i can feel"), or the "remembering you, how you used to be" or "crying for the dearth of your heart".
@waffles! This is such an amazing opinion. It makes sense and puts the song into a whole different perspective! Thanks for that.<br />