"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, East coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the Southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when I'm down there
The Midwest farmer's daughters really make you feel alright
And the Northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night
I wish they all could be California (girls)
I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls
The West coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian island
Dolls by a palm tree in the sand
I been all around this great big world
And I seen all kinds of girls
Yeah, but I couldn't wait to get back in the States
Back to the cutest girls in the world
I wish they all could be California (girls)
I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I really dig those styles they wear
And the Southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when I'm down there
The Midwest farmer's daughters really make you feel alright
And the Northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night
I wish they all could be California (girls)
I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls
The West coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian island
Dolls by a palm tree in the sand
I been all around this great big world
And I seen all kinds of girls
Yeah, but I couldn't wait to get back in the States
Back to the cutest girls in the world
I wish they all could be California (girls)
I wish they all could be California
I wish they all could be California girls
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be California girls
(Girls, girls, girls, yeah I dig the)
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
He's not saying California girls are the hottest - he's saying all the girls all over America are hot, and he wishes they all lived in California.
@oball Glad I don't, could only stand a few weeks holiday and then head back to the UK!
He's saying both: California - and it's girls - are what he likes the best because of what the 2nd verse says, but he's seen so many other hot girls all over the US he wishes they were in California too where he is (what guy in his position wouldn't). Certainly one of the "best of the best" for the Beach Boys (and rock-n-roll). The slow, layered intro is fantastic genius, and is electric to anyone who's heard it before.
@The Swing King its the worst of the worst in my view, sexist song sung by a sexist band.
If Mike was speaking from the heart he soon changed his mind. He developed a taste for darker ladies (especially Japanese0 rather than the Beach Blondes favoured by his rival Dennis Wilson.
@49ersphil now he's married to a womanto an ex beauty pageant contestant, how very tacky, ( this is my view) he's had more wives than Henry VIII and fathered 8 children, I hate him and always will.
At first I thought the lyrics were talking about California girls being the best, but they really aren't.
@lookingxglass well said! all women no matter where they are in the world don't need someone like Mike telling them whose the best in the world, times have changed, its equal opportunties now.
im robert smith!
The song in my view is sexist and objectifies women, and is among 10 other BB songs I will NEVER listen to as they bring back traumas from my past which are too harrowing to talk about.
I have heard the parody version of this song by Apologetix, their version is based on 1 KIngs 11 its less upsetting, and not at all sexist in any way ( unlike the beach Boys version) because it has a message ( whereas the beach Boys' clearly does not).
This song rocks, screw all you people who don't leave notes.
@Insane_J No it doesn't its utter trash and sexist !
I know, it's a good track, isn't it? I would have left a note beforehand, but it kinda never occured to me. It's certainly one of my favourite Beach Boys tracks ever.
@Bobo192 its not mine, this song brings back a terrible traumatic memory from my school days which is too harrowing to talk about, I hate this song and always will.
I saw ontelevision once, an interview with Brian Wilson about this song. He said that he absolutely loved David Lee Roth's cover of this song. hehehe. Especially the parts where he'd yell, "I love girls." That always made me laugh
@ChaosFluro24 wonder what the reaction would have been if the sick video of David Roth's which i found disgusting and utter rubbish had featured male models?