"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.
I've been walking on the street
With a tambourine on my feet
I'm holding every beat steady and low
Well, if it would've been me
I would have turned into the factory
And chase that little girl black and blue
Now I'm bleeding
And I'm freezing
And I'm crying once again
For Monday glass
For Monday glass
So if you see me on the street
Don't ask me about my passing days
Just slip another coin
And walk away
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
I once had a love of mine
With a different heart
In another time
I blew that off with pills and alcohol
I once had a child of mine
With a different heart
In another time
I blew that off with booze and lack of soul
Now I'm bleeding
And I'm freezing
And I'm crying once again
For Monday glass
For Monday glass
So if you see me on the street
Don't ask me about my passing days
Just slip another coin
And walk away
Yeah, slip another coin
And walk away
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
With a tambourine on my feet
I'm holding every beat steady and low
Well, if it would've been me
I would have turned into the factory
And chase that little girl black and blue
Now I'm bleeding
And I'm freezing
And I'm crying once again
For Monday glass
For Monday glass
So if you see me on the street
Don't ask me about my passing days
Just slip another coin
And walk away
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
I once had a love of mine
With a different heart
In another time
I blew that off with pills and alcohol
I once had a child of mine
With a different heart
In another time
I blew that off with booze and lack of soul
Now I'm bleeding
And I'm freezing
And I'm crying once again
For Monday glass
For Monday glass
So if you see me on the street
Don't ask me about my passing days
Just slip another coin
And walk away
Yeah, slip another coin
And walk away
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
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,
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.
Actually, it is about a well-known homeless man called Horst who lives in Stockholm. I read that in a interview with the band. However, one of the best songs on the new album!
Horst is a German seaman from HAmburg. He is pretty famous is Stockholm, cause he is "playing" the harmonica like a madman. One night Björn and Gustaf were pretty drunk and stumbled into his bed" he had prepared on the street. Even though they apologized, Horst was really pissed and so they wrote this song as an apologize. Nice idea...=)
I like the rhythm. I think they somewhere stated this song was about a homeless person, begging for money. But I am not sure. My favourite lyrics in that are "Now I'm bleeding / And I'm freezing / And I'm crying once again / For Monday glass / For Monday glass" - whatever Monday glass means ... maybe alcohol? I really haven't got a clue!
Haha, Horst is a great lad!