"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.
Why are the robots so sad?
We're not in trouble anymore, anyway
And no more synthetic fighting
They stopped the right thing after today.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone, but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
Each and everyone of us still pray
Hoping for evidence
Looking for clues
All the robotic families, searching the circuitry
For what remains.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone, but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
I remember mother that day
When her tears woke us so quietly
From our dreams
She told us, that father's sleeping
And he is watching from far away.
And the shiny toy guns.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
We're not in trouble anymore, anyway
And no more synthetic fighting
They stopped the right thing after today.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone, but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
Each and everyone of us still pray
Hoping for evidence
Looking for clues
All the robotic families, searching the circuitry
For what remains.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone, but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
I remember mother that day
When her tears woke us so quietly
From our dreams
She told us, that father's sleeping
And he is watching from far away.
And the shiny toy guns.
When they took the beach that day
They stole the children, took them away
And I miss everyone but most of all the little ones
And the shiny toy guns.
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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
Little Feat
Little Feat
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”
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
I agree with it being a story. Not sure if its right. But that's how I like to think of it. Really sparks some creative ideas.
This song firstly reminded me the extinction of humankind as I was a fan of the Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. As the robots improved themselves by learning day by day, finally, after they reach the target of destroying humankind, they also learn the people`s emotion and being sad. So even -maybe- the singer is a robot after all. However, with all these views, this makes the song very mystical; I hope Shiny Toy Guns havent made any video clip for this song and can leave its imagination to our own.
Personally, I believe this song is about exactly what it sounds like: a colony of robots, an amorphous "other" stealing children away, etc. Perhaps it was inspired by an emotional dream. I can think of plenty of other songs that fit this bill, so it's not unprecedented.
BUT if it is a figurative song, here's my shot at an interpretation: Robots: civilization Children: innocence/good Mother: Earth/nature Father: time/god Shiny toy guns: tangible possessions
This song could be about the end of the world. "They" are the forces of of death, stealing our innocence away. The robots (people in general) are regretful, though they need not be, because the fighting (wars, etc.) won't exist anymore. Mother Earth's "crying" (some natural disaster or other cataclysmic event) woke us up from our dream world (our meaningless pursuits), while Father (God) is watching disinterestedly, as always, refusing to intervene (sleeping). The author misses being human, and our innocent, yet futile, pursuit of material wealth (Shiny Toy Guns).
And that's it!
@3v3ryth1ng <br /> I like your interpretation. Do you think, possibly the reason they chose to call them "robots" as opposed to anything else is also metaphorical, saying that maybe the general populous has lost their humanity and has turned into machines just going through life doing the same things over and over like clockwork?
I ahve no idea what it means. But I love the song
I think the song is about a war. Perhaps one were someone stormed a beach, and the defending soldiers might be portrayed as innocent children because they are simply defending themselves and others and didn't wish to fight. Synthetic fighting might just be the battle because they used bullets and such. There not in trouble any more so it's over. The shiny toy guns are guns. The soldiers were taken away so either killed or captured. They prey the find the clues needed to get them back. And fathers sleeping and watching from far away because he's dead.
I do not know what the robots are, but I guess they could be anything depending on the person. It is something tragic that stole the children, their innocence maybe. "Shiny toy guns." When this tragic event occurs, the first thing a person wants is evidence, hence the whole idea of praying and looking for clues. When the song refers to "father sleeping" and watching them from far away, father has died and that is the way described to the children. This is all I could get. It is a great song, by far my favorite on the album.
Crying robots? Synthetic fighting? I don't think there is anything more to this than what the song spells out. Sometimes people try to hard to disect a song. Obviously these robots can show emotion, so it's really advanced technology. I'm pretty sure it's after humans have killed themselves and every other living thing, or maybe they are the ones that took the children.
So, I'm doing this poetry project and we're allowed to do song lyrics, and I'm definitly choosing this one...To me, The song is about Divorce.
The robots=The parents Synthetic Fighting= Typical marriage problems they tried to hide Stopped the Right thing after today=They stopped being together for the kids that day.
The Beach=the childrens carefree attitude Stealing the children=Of course, the separation of the family Shiny Toy Guns=I believe is the childrens innocence and brand new("shiny") perspectives on life that are now tainted. To me the entire 3rd stanza is about trying to find what went wrong with the marriage, and they are trying to find pieces they may be able to put back together. The 5th stanza, I'm kinda torn between maybe the mother got full custody of the kids and she was trying to break it to them softly, or he really did die, maybe of suicide because of the divorce. Anyway, so all in all, yeah, i believe the song is about divorce and what it does to the children.
The song is sooo freaking catchy. And it's deep as well. The only thing that is throwing me off is the 'shiny toy guns'; the pitch at which it is sang. This is how I define this song:
The robots are in charge. The robots are parents. The robots are 'robots' because of the things they do and the unnecessary rules they have. They can't seem to agree on something. So they have these fake fights that aren't even necessary. One of the robot takes nothing but the other takes the person singing the song. He misses every one... and he can't even remember them all but he can remember the shiny toy guns that they left behind. I suppose the shiny toy guns is his memories...
...and when he misses the little ones, I suppose he misses when they were little... and all these memories, and the shiny toy guns they played with.
But with the frequency at which I'll listen to this song, the meaning is likely to change (for me).
well, i agree with the divorce thing. it sounds about right. but when you say he says "right thing", it sounds to me like he's saying "lightning". i guess i could be hearing wrong. whatever.
i always thought it was about the children being taken away by the child protective services... but it could be about divorce... or maybe it's just familial problems like... the children were being abused, then the parents got a divorce and then all the rest of that stuff happened...