"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.
Sail on down the line 'bout-a half-a mile or so
And-a don't really wanna know-a where you're goin'
Maybe once or twice, you see, time after time
I tried-a to, to hold on to what we got, but-a now you're goin'
And I don't mind about the things you're gonna say, Lord
I gave all my money, and my time
I know it's a shame, but I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah
Yes I'll be on my way, I won't be back to stay
I guess I'll move along, I'm lookin' for a good time
Sail on down the line, ain't it funny how the time can go on-a
Friends say they told me so, but it doesn't matter
It was plain to see that a small town boy like me
Just-a wasn't your cup of tea
It was wishful thinkin'
I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy
And you gave me nothin' in return
You know, it ain't so hard to say, "Would you please just go away," yeah, yeah
I've thrown away the blues, I'm tired of bein' used
I want everyone to know I'm lookin' for a good time, good time
Sail on honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on sugar
Good times never felt so good
And-a don't really wanna know-a where you're goin'
Maybe once or twice, you see, time after time
I tried-a to, to hold on to what we got, but-a now you're goin'
And I don't mind about the things you're gonna say, Lord
I gave all my money, and my time
I know it's a shame, but I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah
Yes I'll be on my way, I won't be back to stay
I guess I'll move along, I'm lookin' for a good time
Sail on down the line, ain't it funny how the time can go on-a
Friends say they told me so, but it doesn't matter
It was plain to see that a small town boy like me
Just-a wasn't your cup of tea
It was wishful thinkin'
I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy
And you gave me nothin' in return
You know, it ain't so hard to say, "Would you please just go away," yeah, yeah
I've thrown away the blues, I'm tired of bein' used
I want everyone to know I'm lookin' for a good time, good time
Sail on honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on sugar
Good times never felt so good
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Fast Car
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Mountain Song
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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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
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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.
I've heard a couple things. the first is that this is the last song he wrote with the commodores, after which he left, knowing this was inevitable. the second meaning is that he wrote this song about his first divorce.
'Small town boy like me', always gets me....like there was snobbery involved in the split.
This song is about him leaving the Commodores but masked as if its about a divorce or separation.
"Sail on down the line About a half mile or so And I don’t really wanna know Where you’re goin’
Maybe once or twice you see Time after time I’ve tried To hold on to what we’ve got But now you’re goin’
Those verses refer to the creative differences and power struggles they were expericing at the time.
"And I don’t mind ‘bout the things you’re gonna say, Lord I gave all my money and my time I know it’s a shame But I’m givin’ you back your name, yeah, yeah"
Refers to he knows there will be hard feelings after he is gone and by giving back the name, he is giving back any ownership he had in the band.
"Sail on down the line Ain’t it funny how the time can go All my friends say they told me so But it doesn’t matter
It was plain to see That a small town boy like me Just wasn’t your cup of tea I was wishful thinking"
Refers to friends that were telling him it was time to move on and start on his own.
"I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy And you gave me nothing in return You know it ain’t so hard to say Would you please just go away, yeah, yeah"
Refers to he did everything he could for the band and felt like he was getting nothing back. He felt like they wanted him gone but didnt have the balls to tell him to leave.
"I’ve thrown away the blues I’m tired of bein’ used I want everyone to know I’m lookin’ for a good time, good time"
Refers to he is tired of stressing over the band and lost friendships and tired of getting used by the band. Lookin for a good time means he wants to enjoy the hard work he does and being with the Commodores, he wasnt having fun anymore.
"Whoa, sail on, honey Good times never felt so good Sail on, honey Good times never felt so good"
Sail On is basically him saying good luck and shows he has no ill feelings for being used or upset. He was mature is just saying, time to move on but Ill never forget the good times we had and that he would always remember the good times.
My favorite of the bands. Instead of saying he's looking for a 'good time', he should have said GREAT time.
This was written for an album released in 1979, he didn't leave the Commodores until 1982, so I don't think it was about leaving his band. He married in 1975 and divorced in 1983, so again, I don't think it was about his future divorce which happened 4 years after he released the song. As far as who or what he was referring to when he wrote it..I dont' know.
@jay1097718, according to a guy named "Dug," from Manitoba, he writes, "This song was in fact, composed by Lionel Richie, after meeting up with a childhood friend, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up. His friend had just broken up with his wife, and the two sat up through the night, discussing his situation. A few weeks later, Lionel sent him the lyrics to 'Sail On' indicating that he wrote this with him in mind. By the way, Lionel's boyhood nickname is (Skeet)."