"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.
The most familiar room
Every implement was leading to you
And your homely sense of disarray
Never once the same
Always rearranged
But things would never change
In the seam between the window frame
Where the jackals preyed on every soul
Where they tied you to a pole
And stripped you of your clothes
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And each time they found fresh meat to chew
I would turn away and return to you
You would offer me your unmade bed
Feed me till I'm fed
And read me 'til I'm read
But when the morning came
You would catch me at the window again
In an eyes-wide-open sleeping state
Staring into space
With no look upon my face
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And when I got older
When I grew bolder
Out onto the streets I flew
Released from your shackles
I danced with the jackals
And learned a new way to move
So before you take this song as truth
You should wonder what I'm taking from you
How I benefit from you being here
Lending me your ears
While I'm selling you my fears
I was a dreamer (I'm selling you my fears)
Staring out windows (I'm selling you my fears)
Out onto the main street (I'm selling you my fears)
'Cause that's where the dream goes (I'm selling you)
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
Every implement was leading to you
And your homely sense of disarray
Never once the same
Always rearranged
But things would never change
In the seam between the window frame
Where the jackals preyed on every soul
Where they tied you to a pole
And stripped you of your clothes
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And each time they found fresh meat to chew
I would turn away and return to you
You would offer me your unmade bed
Feed me till I'm fed
And read me 'til I'm read
But when the morning came
You would catch me at the window again
In an eyes-wide-open sleeping state
Staring into space
With no look upon my face
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And when I got older
When I grew bolder
Out onto the streets I flew
Released from your shackles
I danced with the jackals
And learned a new way to move
So before you take this song as truth
You should wonder what I'm taking from you
How I benefit from you being here
Lending me your ears
While I'm selling you my fears
I was a dreamer (I'm selling you my fears)
Staring out windows (I'm selling you my fears)
Out onto the main street (I'm selling you my fears)
'Cause that's where the dream goes (I'm selling you)
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
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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.
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."
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,
I think it's simply about growing .. it's like everybody were born naive .. and his mother or someone who care about him wanted him to to stay naive.. so she held him in the familiar room - the house -> his room. but he was curious.. and that's where he dreamed to be with everybody.. he was looking outside all the time.. but they everybody outside jackals ..so his mom didn't want him to go.. but when he grew older, he released from her shackles and could "dance" with them.. so he became one of them.. "learned a new way to move"... so he became a jackal as the name of the song.. "becoming a jackal".. and so he lost his innocence .. like everybody did.. I really don't quite know right now what does this part means:
"So before you take this song as truth You should wonder what I'm taking from you How I benefit from you being here Lending me your ears while I'm selling you my fears "
but I guess it could be the audience like someone told here before.. or maybe: "So before you take this song as truth" - so before you take him as a jackal ("becoming a jackal") .. he is talking to his mom/lover/ someone who cares about him - lending me your ears.. "while I'm selling you my fears" - telling her how terrible is it to be a jackal.."How I benefit from you being here" - he is enjoying her being here - he wants her back .. he doesn't wanna be outside anymore.. it's like us when we're growing up - we wanna get younger again .. and when we were young we wanted to grow..
I occasionally search this site when I have troubles deciphering lyrics in songs, and enjoy the interpretations, but this song gave me a reason to lend my logic. I fully understand the subjective nature in all forms of art...how we perceive things differently, but I can't help but feel that many are ignoring the most basic, literal meanings. <br /> <br /> "So before you take this song as truth<br /> You should wonder what I'm taking from you<br /> How I benefit from you being here<br /> Lending me your ears while I'm selling you my fears"<br /> <br /> This "song" is what the listener is hearing<br /> What is he taking from you?<br /> How does he benefit?<br /> You are "lending your ear" and he's "selling" you his "fear"...literally in the form of a record<br /> <br /> It seems, in a literal sense, that he's singing about YOU...and me<br /> <br /> It would take too much time to explain these sentiments, but after so much time of thought you eventually realize there is nowhere else to go except for passing on your ideas to others who might feel the same, etc. In a way, he's warning you...HEY! Pay attention! I'm selling you my fears! He's not being "evil" or scamming you, but wants to let you know that he has been in the deep, dark abyss and is using music as an outlet to express these fears/concerns/truths. He is basically saying..."I've been there before and have tried to figure it all out; now I'm selling you my thoughts/opinions concerning reality and giving you fair notice...don't get pissed at me if my path hurts too much." I'm drunk and could say this all better, but maybe I got my point across, not that it really matters.