"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.
Well, take me back down where cool water flows, y'all
Oh, let me remember things I love
Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite
Walkin' along the river road at night
Barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight
I can hear the bullfrog callin' me, oh
Wonder if my rope's still hangin' to the tree
Love to kick my feet way down the shallow water
Shoo fly, dragon fly, get back to your mother
Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River
Well
Up at Cody's camp I spent my days, Lord
With flat car riders and cross-tie walkers
Old Cody Junior took me over
Said, "You're gonna find the world is smoldering
And if you get lost, come on home to Green River"
Well
Come on home
Oh, let me remember things I love
Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite
Walkin' along the river road at night
Barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight
I can hear the bullfrog callin' me, oh
Wonder if my rope's still hangin' to the tree
Love to kick my feet way down the shallow water
Shoo fly, dragon fly, get back to your mother
Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River
Well
Up at Cody's camp I spent my days, Lord
With flat car riders and cross-tie walkers
Old Cody Junior took me over
Said, "You're gonna find the world is smoldering
And if you get lost, come on home to Green River"
Well
Come on home
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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.
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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
There was this campsite Fogerty and the others would go to every year in California called Putah Creek. It was run by a descendent of Buffalo Bill Cody, and they used to sell these drinks made with a syrup called "Green River". Fogerty wrote wrote the song about the camp which was like a vacation refuge to him, and then named it 'green river' cos it was more musical-sounding.
@shadowwiththeeyes Except it’s not a campsite. Putah Creek is a real creek in Winters, CA where he summered. The permanent building foundation of Cody’s camp still exists on the river side on the 100 block of Wolfskill St. (near 1st).
@shadowwiththeeyes Except it’s not a campsite. Putah Creek is a real creek in Winters, CA where he summered. The permanent building foundation of Cody’s camp still exists on the river side on the 100 block of Wolfskill St. (near 1st).
i couldn't believe that i didn't see any comments on the CCR's best song, then i realized i was on a website named songmeanings.net and probably no one know wat this song means...i don't either, but i'll take a stab at it...
i hav a feeling it's about a soldier who came back from war...but all the song implies is that it's about going back home after being away for a while...my reasons for saying it's about war is b/c Cody tells him that when he leaves Green River he's gonna find out "the world is smolderin"...i also think that might just mean the real world is hard, but that u can always go back home
CCR was not a southern rock band, they were all from California even though many of their popular songs are about life in the south on the bayou or on the river.
CCR is kickass, and it's amazing they were only around for four years.
i mean, if they would have stuck together longer, i think they would have passed all the greats in southern rock n roll, such as lynard skynard.
but, this is by far one of my favorite songs by CCR.
This is an awesome song, the guitar riff in the beginning is very swampy, and sets the scence of a River type setting.
Chrisb1 asked what a cross-tie walker is, it's a colorful description of a tramp or hobo, who when they aren't "flat-car riders" (hopping trains to travel across the countryside), they are "cross-tie walkers" walking on the rails waiting for a train.
This, too, is my favorite CCR song. I love the imagery of a barefoot girl dancing in the moonlight along a river road.
i think this is a pretty awesome song. my dad wanted to name my sister 'cody' in the 70's...but my mom wouldn't have it...then i came along and he got his wish...i'm pretty stoked about the name cody : )
Everytime they mention Green River on the weather report,gotta listen to it...
i love this song i love creedence what more can i say
welllll, bownownbowbownownow
green river!