"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.
Yellow bird flying gets shot in the wing
Good year for hunters and Christmas parties
And I hate and I hate and I hate
And I hate elevator music
The way we fight
The way I'm left here silent
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
We danced in graveyards with vampires 'till dawn
We laughed in the faces of king never afraid to burn
And I hate and I hate and I hate
And I hate disintegration
Watching us wither
Black winged roses that safely changed their color
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Good year for hunters and Christmas parties
And I hate and I hate and I hate
And I hate elevator music
The way we fight
The way I'm left here silent
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
We danced in graveyards with vampires 'till dawn
We laughed in the faces of king never afraid to burn
And I hate and I hate and I hate
And I hate disintegration
Watching us wither
Black winged roses that safely changed their color
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
I can't reach you
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Give me life
Give me pain
Give me myself again
Oh these little earthquakes
Here we go again
These little earthquakes
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
I had a girlfriend with chemical depression. The worst "Little Earthquakes". The smallest thing could blow her whole world apart - leaving her crying in a closet for days. There was nothing really wrong - but she'd be paralyzed with fear and sorrow. Finally, I was so terrified - I took her to a Doctor who put her on Anti-Depressants. Her moods leveled. She hated the numb feeling... along with the loss of true excitement.
It made her hate me... and she decided to toss out the AD's. She wanted life raw again. Good and bad. Highs and desperate lows. When I hear this song " Give me life. Give me pain. Give me myself again." I can't help but wonder if it was about Anti-Depresants or other pills... and breaking from them.
I can't belive no one has commented on this song, it's so metaphoric and beautiful, like Tori Amos is a beautiful and talented artist...
This song is about flaws of life, and how small things move us, we shouldn't get stuck on details and live life to the fullest i guess...
I think its a beautiful song, but I have always felt quite a bit of hopelessnes in it too. It's almost seems like she is saying we all give in too easily and we just need to realize that part of life is pain.
This song mimics the way waves slowly erode a shore, the way stones crumble a wall... tiny things are what destroys us, in the end. A fight. A careless word. Little earthquakes.
this song sounds like those brief moments that leave us shaken.
a relationship is crumbling slowly to bits not through some big event but little things every day. like fights in an apartment that end in her leaving, wondering what happened and why she has to watch their love dissolve, as the elevator music plays in the background. i can picture a lady angrily pushing the glowing buttons and sitting alone in the momentary safety of an enclosed space, composing herself, makeup running...
I think it's just about the little things that happen in life that can rip you apart. Even small things have an effect so you have to be careful about what you say and do.
I think the Little Earthquakes are the small fights that happen between 2 people . The fights that you regret starting and the ones that couldve been so eaisly avoided. The ones that dont end a relationship but make you realize how close you came and how easily it could end.
yeah, its a really awesome song. i agree that it deals with all the little tials and tribulations we go through each day, and how they can just destroy us if we let them
I always thought Little Earthquakes=orgasm?? don't know why it just stroke me one day :)