"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.
Hey bro, take it slow
You ain't livin' in a video
You're flying low with a high velocity
No doubt, you're stressin' out
That ain't what rock n' roll's about
Get off that one way trip down lonely street
Now I know you've been kicked around
You ain't alone in this ugly town
You stick a needle in your arm
You bite the dust, you buy the farm
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
C'mon girl, it's a better day
Get your foot out of that grave
Don't let that one love tear your world apart
C'mon babe, kick that stuff
Show the street it ain't so tough
Quit lyin' around with a crippled, broken heart
Now I know you've been seeing red
Don't put a pistol to your head
sometimes your answer's heaven sent
Your way is so damn permanent
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
This ain't your daddy talkin'
You know, I know
Your story ain't so shocking
You know, I know
Blow some steam
C'mon and scream
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
You ain't livin' in a video
You're flying low with a high velocity
No doubt, you're stressin' out
That ain't what rock n' roll's about
Get off that one way trip down lonely street
Now I know you've been kicked around
You ain't alone in this ugly town
You stick a needle in your arm
You bite the dust, you buy the farm
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
C'mon girl, it's a better day
Get your foot out of that grave
Don't let that one love tear your world apart
C'mon babe, kick that stuff
Show the street it ain't so tough
Quit lyin' around with a crippled, broken heart
Now I know you've been seeing red
Don't put a pistol to your head
sometimes your answer's heaven sent
Your way is so damn permanent
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
This ain't your daddy talkin'
You know, I know
Your story ain't so shocking
You know, I know
Blow some steam
C'mon and scream
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
What ya tryin' to do
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey stoopid
They win you lose
Hey, hye, hey, hey, hey stoopid
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
this is an anti drugs song my dad said so and he's 46 and hes been a nassive alice cooper fan since the early 70s
A very clever song. He's saying things a priest would say using the ultimate rock way! Kids tend to reject things a parent would say, that's why he says "this ain't your daddy talking"! "Your story ain't so shocking" :-) Haha amazing! he's showing parental wisdom! If a parent would call his child "stupid" it would be like pushing it over the cliff but what if a rock star sings it? Many parents should be grateful to Alice Cooper.
@VanDiemen16 I agree completely parents should totally thank Alice for all his amazing work in this song and many others.
This was written about how it was becoming cool to be depressed and teenage suicide and such.
I think it's realy cool Ozzy singing as a geust on this song
......and why it is the dumbest thing you could possibly do to yourself, as Alice puts it.
this song makes me wanna fight back, and not let people kick me down all the time. If I'm gonna commit suicide, they'll win, and that's where I want to scream NEVER! Good song
Well yes. Quite.
My first serious girlfriend was extremely depressed and at times suicidal. She is a massive Alice Cooper fan and got me into him. I used to sing this song at her to piss her off when she got real down.
lilly-of-the-valley - it was about some kid sending a letter to alice and him saying that "hey im 14, .... a lot of bad shit happens.... i realy thinking about suicide" [its on youtube somewhere] . this scared alice quite a bit.... and he was concerned....
alice said that, rather than go oh god dont do it - a freind would say, dont be daft what the fuck are you trying to do?
slash and ozzy did this song with him to make poeple realise that sucide is a permanent solution to a temp problem.... "they win, YOU lose"
as donka says ^^
this song helped me a lot.... and i know the loss of love from suicide... if only they could of got back on their feet......
tis to stop anyone from doing it
you cannot gain loss only feel it ect