"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.
One, two, three, four walking like a man
Hitting like a hammer
She's a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
Tasty like a raindrop
She's got the look
Heavenly bound
Cause heaven's got a number
When she's spinning me around
Kissing is a color
Her loving is a wild dog
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
Fire in the ice
Naked to the t-bone
Is a lover's disguise
Banging on the head drum
Shaking like a mad bull
She's got the look
Swaying to the band
Moving like a hammer
She's a miracle man
Loving is the ocean
Kissing is the wet sand
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
Walking like a man
Hitting like a hammer
She's a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
Tasty like a raindrop
She's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
What in the world can make you so blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la (na na na na na na)
She's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look, she's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look, she's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
Hitting like a hammer
She's a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
Tasty like a raindrop
She's got the look
Heavenly bound
Cause heaven's got a number
When she's spinning me around
Kissing is a color
Her loving is a wild dog
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
Fire in the ice
Naked to the t-bone
Is a lover's disguise
Banging on the head drum
Shaking like a mad bull
She's got the look
Swaying to the band
Moving like a hammer
She's a miracle man
Loving is the ocean
Kissing is the wet sand
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
Walking like a man
Hitting like a hammer
She's a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
Tasty like a raindrop
She's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look
She's got the look (She's got the look) She's got the look (She's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la she's got the look
What in the world can make you so blue
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you
And I go la la la la la (na na na na na na)
She's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look, she's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
She's got the look, she's got the look
She goes (na na na na na na)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
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.
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.
I think it is about one of thoes rare extreamly attractive woman that has a bit of wild nature and feels that she has the world in her hand because she basicly gets what ever she wants. She has a huge ego becsuse of the way men submit to her and because of this she has a extream selfconfidence everywhere she goes and it can even be seen in the way that she walks, even though it is not a true one. "Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer" Cool Song
I just saw a documentary about Roxette on Swedish television and Per Gessle who wrote the song actually said that he was just going for the rhythm of the melody and just filled it with what ever came to his mind at that point.
Later on when he had finished the lyrics he figured that it could be analyzed with a more poetic approach as well... but in the end it was just a catchy tune. And what catchy tune. Got the damn thing stuck on my head now. :D
Joe Elliott of Def Leppard has said that he makes lyrics to fit the music.Sounds easy doesn't it?
Great song.
this song is amaziing!
Love this song.
this song is da bomb diggety, Per Gessle just has an amazing voice.. "Banging on the head drum, shaking like a mad bull" is the best part :D
Like the whistle in Joyride, these Swedes know how to write a catchy line of music. Everybody sing, "La la lala alala lallalal lallla lalalalal llalalallla - She's got the Look!"
kinda steve miller-esque guitar riffs.
kinda steve miller-esque guitar riffs.
heaven`s got a number, kissing is a colour..
Catchy. Amazing..