"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.
You have to learn to pace yourself
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure
You used to call me paranoid
Pressure
But even you can not avoid
Pressure
You turned the tap dance into your crusade
Now here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure
All grown up and no place to go
Psych 1, Psych 2
What do you know?
All your life is Channel 13
Sesame Street
What does it mean?
I'll tell you what it means
Pressure
Pressure
Don't ask for help
You're all alone
Pressure
You'll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are in the ninth
Two men out and three men on
Nowhere to look but inside
Where we all respond to
Pressure
Pressure
All your life is Time magazine
I read it too
What does it mean?
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure
Pressure, pressure
One, two, three, four
Pressure
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure
You used to call me paranoid
Pressure
But even you can not avoid
Pressure
You turned the tap dance into your crusade
Now here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure
All grown up and no place to go
Psych 1, Psych 2
What do you know?
All your life is Channel 13
Sesame Street
What does it mean?
I'll tell you what it means
Pressure
Pressure
Don't ask for help
You're all alone
Pressure
You'll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are in the ninth
Two men out and three men on
Nowhere to look but inside
Where we all respond to
Pressure
Pressure
All your life is Time magazine
I read it too
What does it mean?
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure
Pressure, pressure
One, two, three, four
Pressure
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
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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.
Cajun Girl
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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”
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.
This song has meaning, a really deep meaning to that. Somebody's in a really bad situation, and people who have never had any troubles in their lives are telling him what to do. He's saying the person shouldn't be giving him advice because they "have no scars on their face" and their Sesame Street or channel 13 (probably just meant as television in general) won't give them any real direction in life. And Billy Joel says you can't give advice if you haven't gone through anything
Pressure is about growing up. It's about being sheltered and then finally having to face the "real world." It's about being naive and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, but suddenly having to deal with life head-on. "Even you cannot avoid pressure."
It is very 1982 with the synthesizer, but that adds to the song!
And weezerific, Sesame Street is a children's TV show (I feel old!). It is on PBS stations, which in New York is channel 13.
omg come on this song definitely has a meaning. i agree with Krisstie- he's talking about growing up and being sheltered. "all your life is channel 13, sesame street" it's saying life isn't all perfect like sesame street, you have to deal with pressure. you can't avoid it. i love this song!
Many of the songs on "The Nylon Curtain" are social comments. I think this song is about Joel's contempt for psychologists and therapy. Demand for these, I'm guessing, were probably rising through the late-70s and early-80s. Therapists are not immune from personal problems, and yet people seek them out as if they are all-knowing. But what do therapists really know? All they offer is a "cosmic rationale". Better to look for your own answers. I think the Sesame Street line is a reference to how, according to therapists, any problem we have in adulthood can be traced back to childhood.
i seriously think this song is about heck."All your life is channel 13, sesame street" Means that the person is all happy and has no cares. "You have no scars on your face" means that he hasn't gone through any thing. And "But you will come to a place where the only thing you feel are loaded guns in your face" means that soon you will come to a place with worries and you will have to deal with all this pressure, or you will come to heck.
oh yeah and the, "you used to call me paranoid" part means that you thought this wouldnt happen, when i was worried about it and now it could happen to you. again, same with my brother. my mom gave him alot of strategies to keep organized, and he still stressed cuz he ignored them.
In the part that said "But here you are, with your faith, and your Peter Pan advice." means that whomever he is talking about reached the real world under the impression that everything is great and nothing will go wrong(AKA Peter Pan advice).
F** comment wasn't complete and I press the button while I wanted to correct something..
Sorry for the west of time just check the other comment it is full I took my time not to press the f** button enjoy !
Yeah, yoru probly righ, but whenever I hear this song I always freak out, I love it, one of my favorites, I love the sinthesizer in there well I just needed to say somthing I LOVE THIS SONG!! Billy Joel is so awesome, i love his music
A song like this is probably directed as a specific person though. I'd like to know why he wrote this song or whom it's about.
did u really ask what sesame street was?
(weezerific)