"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'm a scary gargoyle on a tower
That you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away
Where the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep
Drive on engines 'til they weep
With future pixels in factories far away
So call the mainland from the beach
All parties now washed up in bleach
The waves are rising for this time of year
And nobody knows what to do with the heat
Under sunshine pylons we'll meet while rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky
I got a feeling now my heart is frozen
All the verses and the corrosion
Have been after native in my soul
I prayed on the immovable
Yeah, clinging to the atoms of rock
Seasons the adjustments, signs of change
I can't see now she said, "Taxi"
Now that light is all I can take
The storm bring strange loyalties and skies
I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower
That you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away
(Here we go again)
(That's electric)
(That's electric)
Helicopters fly over the beach
Same time everyday, same routine
Clear target in summer when skies are blue
It's part of the noise when winter comes
It reverberates in my lungs
Nature's corrupted in factories far away (here we go again) (that's electric)
Your love's like rhinestones, falling from the sky (that's electric)
With future pixels in factories far away (that's electric)
Your love's like rhinestones, falling from the sky (that's electric)
With future pixels in factories far away (here we go again)
That you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away
Where the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep
Drive on engines 'til they weep
With future pixels in factories far away
So call the mainland from the beach
All parties now washed up in bleach
The waves are rising for this time of year
And nobody knows what to do with the heat
Under sunshine pylons we'll meet while rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky
I got a feeling now my heart is frozen
All the verses and the corrosion
Have been after native in my soul
I prayed on the immovable
Yeah, clinging to the atoms of rock
Seasons the adjustments, signs of change
I can't see now she said, "Taxi"
Now that light is all I can take
The storm bring strange loyalties and skies
I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower
That you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away
(Here we go again)
(That's electric)
(That's electric)
Helicopters fly over the beach
Same time everyday, same routine
Clear target in summer when skies are blue
It's part of the noise when winter comes
It reverberates in my lungs
Nature's corrupted in factories far away (here we go again) (that's electric)
Your love's like rhinestones, falling from the sky (that's electric)
With future pixels in factories far away (that's electric)
Your love's like rhinestones, falling from the sky (that's electric)
With future pixels in factories far away (here we go again)
Lyrics submitted by Fushigikai, edited by stephamoo, MattsUK, stu2Dpot, AtlasOnline
Rhinestone Eyes Lyrics as written by Jamie Hewlett Damon Albarn
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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"I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower That you made with plastic power Your rhinestone eyes are like Factories far away"
As with most of the songs on this album, he uses things describing things that are 'fake', like Plastic, Rhinestones... This line is saying that his scarey, stone, jaded person was "made" by this 'fake' person (assuming a lover). This person has since past in his life, but their effect is ever-present (hence, factories)
"With the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep Drive on engines til they weep we're Future pixels in factories far away"
I believe this describes our nature to cling our dreams that will never come true, while they gradually eat at us emotionally from disappointment (again, assuming love). "We're future Pixels in factories far away" describes how we live. We live for the hopes of another day, yes these hopes rarely ever come true, and lead to disappointment.
"So call the mainland from the beach Our pod is now washed up in bleach the Waves are rising For this time of year"
"Call the mainland from the beach" may refer to struggling to find hope, or help. "Our Pod is now washed up in bleach" is perhaps refering to an Escape Pod, further refering to a "crash landing" and the bleach washing away the past. The last two lines are obvious, I think.
"And nobody knows what to do with the heat Under sunshine pylons we'll meet while Rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky"
Nobody knows how to handle the the 'heat', as in problems. The second line I believe is more accurately worded "Under sunshine, Pylons will meet". Pylons a metaphor for strong support and Sunshine being a metaphor for hope, it seems to hint that the person has gotten right back up and gotten back into a relationship to keep on his two feet. The last line, with again the reference to rhinestones (fake) and rain (depression), hints that again it did not end well.
"Can't see it now my heart is frozen All the birds and all that grows are Tapping at the natives in my soul"
The first line seems pretty straight forward. The next two lines, perhaps signify some inner hope deep within him trying to break it's way through.
"I prayed on the immovable You're clinging to the atoms and I'm Seeing the adjustment signs of change"
The second line listening closely I believe should be 'Yet' instead of 'you're'. 'and I'm' seems different as well, but I can't tell what the word(s) are. Even so, I think it signifies him praying that things won't change in the situation/relationship, while clinging to his principles and seeing the changes in and around him.
"And I can't see now you said (taxi?) The light is all that I can take This storm brings strange royalties, and skies"
I do believe it is Taxi, refering to his current partner leaving him (hailing taxi), yet instead of being completely depressed, it has brought certain happiness (royalties) and hope (skies)
(chorus)
Helicopters fly over the beach Same time everyday, same routine Clear target in summer When skies are blue
Perhaps signifies that he understands the flow of things, that everything will happen again and again. This and the next line seem to give the impression that although hopeful, he's rather jaded. The both also seem to give a "Calm before the storm" sense, this part being the 'calm'...
It's part of the noise when winter comes It reverberates in my lungs Nature's corrupted In factories far away
... and this being the storm. The first two lines signify that he already knows what is coming, and notices the signs, the tone being pretty jaded. The last two perhaps refers that, on a bigger sceme of things, everything follows the same cycle right back to pain.
TL:DR version: It's about becomming jaded.
"Can't see it now my heart is frozen<br /> All the birds and all that grows are<br /> Tapping at the natives in my soul"<br /> <br /> Throughout the entire song, this line might be the most telling.<br /> <br /> Any natural, honest instinct he has is trying to re-awaken, but his experiences have so soured him that he's not even able to access those innocent emotions. <br /> <br /> I really enjoyed your interpretation, and have been listening line-by-line to the song today. Great job.
I think you're mostly right, but i thought i'd clear something up:<br /> <br /> 'Our pod is now washed up in bleach'<br /> Could be referring to a pod as in a social group of whales or dolphins. <br /> Rather than a crash landing, I think it's a reference to the hopelessness one feels when they are confronting the 'plastic' in their lives. Beached whales do not tend to survive without help from people, which also kind of makes sense with the 'call the mainland from the beach' part. <br /> <br /> Perhaps the bleach is alluding to our obsessive desire to cleanse ourselves of the 'fake-ness', and our tendency to do overdo it and kill a part of our real selves in the process.
oops - posted in the wrong section. I'll repost it here with a few additions.
The song is about the interplay between technology, consumerism and the damage our fake (rhinestone) and "plastic" lifestyle is doing to the environment.
A pod is a social group of whales or dolphins. "Our pod is now washed up in bleach."
And nobody knows what to do with the heat - reference to global warming. "Under sunshine pylons we'll meet, while rain is falling from the sky." Nature is corrupted so much from human pollution that it rains even when the global warming sun is burning down in pylons.
You're clinging to the atoms (technology) and I'm seeing the adjustment and signs of change (climate change, environmental destruction). His soul is frozen (from ice age climate change? from the way technology is divorcing us from nature?) and the birds and all that grows is trying to reach him, tapping on the "natives" in his soul, or that part of him that still is connected to nature deep down.
Gorillaz is a "virtual" band made with technology, a scary gargoyle that we've made with consumerism and plastic power (computers and CDs), as we wait in paralytic dreams with rhinestone (dead/fake) eyes for future pixels (more releases) from factories far away.
"Nature's corrupted, in factories far away."
That's electric - here we go again.
@iggy00 i have just been registered just to appreciate your answer, very nice explanation.
This is the best song from the album.
A pod is a social group of whales or dolphins. "Our pod is now washed up in bleach." <br /> <br /> And nobody knows what to do with the heat - reference to global warming. "Under sunshine pylons we'll meet, while rain is falling from the sky." Nature is corrupted so much from human pollution that it rains even when the global warming sun is burning down in pylons. <br /> <br /> You're clinging to the atoms (technology) and I'm seeing the adjustment and signs of change (climate change, environmental destruction). <br /> <br /> Gorillaz is a "virtual" band made with technology, a scary gargoyle that we've made with consumerism and plastic power (computers and CDs), as we wait in paralytic dreams with rhinestone (dead/fake) eyes for future pixels (more releases) from factories far away. <br /> <br /> "Nature's corrupted, in factories far away."<br /> <br /> That's electric - here we go again.
"I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower that you made with plastic power Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away Where the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep Drive on engines till they sleep with future pixels in factories far away"
I thought of this being about consumption and capitalism. The gargoyle kind of representing big business built with "plastic power", like credit cards. "Factories far away" I think of outsourcing and factories in other countries, where all our pollution and ugliness is given to someone else while the higher ups get more money here. "Rhinestone eyes" I think kind of represents greed, like diamonds. But they're not real diamonds, and they're being compared to factories far away, meaning that they're soulless and hollow. Yes you've gained money, but at what cost? These dreams of money and greed are paralyzing and all consuming. "Drive on engines..." Our dreams depend on these factories and the people who are suffering from this system, but we consider them insignificant "future pixels".
"So call the mainland from the beach All parties now washed up in bleach The waves are rising for this time of year And nobody knows what to do with the heat Under sunshine pylons we'll meet While rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky"
"He's talking about whales washing up on the beach 'in bleach'. the tides and temperatures are changing because of pollution..." -ExistanceIsFutile23
I think this is about right. This verse seems to be talking about how these factories are damaging nature and the earth. "Under sunshine pylons..." Pylons according to Webster can mean gateway, or tower-like structures. So I think they're taking refuge in under these structures while greed and corruption accumulate outside (sunshine vs rain).
"I can't see you now my heart is frozen all the bowses and the growses have been abstinated in my soul I prayed on the immovable yet clinging to the atoms of rocks seasons the adjustments signs of change"
Growse = To shiver; to have chills Bowse = To haul or pull by means of a tackle
I think this is talking about how he's detached himself from others, "you", those who are corrupted and have rhinestone eyes. The seasons bit is more environmental stuff. The seasons slowly shifting because of pollution, etc. The rest is how he's trying to hold on to stability and what was, but despite this things are changing.
"I can't see now she said taxi Now red light is all I can take This dawn brings strange loyalties and skies"
Now a girl is in a taxi, and she can't see because of the red lights. I think this might be a metaphor of us losing our way, and all we can see is how things are now in a modernized world. This "dawn" bright new world brings new opportunities and makes our life better, but strange because it's corrupted us as well.
"I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower that you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away
Here we go again That's electric That's electric
Helicopters fly over the beach Same time every day same routine Clear target in the summer when skies are blue It's part of the noise when winter comes It reverberates in my lungs Natures corrupted in factories far away"
I think the helicopter is kind of out of place on the beach, but it's also become part of everyday life. Kind of like modernization not being a part of nature. All these factories and buildings and things are polluting the earth and corrupting nature.
"Here we go again That's electric Your loves like rhinestones falling from the sky That's electric We are future pixels in factories far away Here we go again That's electric Your loves like rhinestones falling from the sky That's electric Where future pixels in factories far away Here we go again"
"Your love..." Going back to the whole greed thing and our love for money. "we are..." Everything that we've done has come back to us and has ended up hurting us in the end. Now we're insignificant pixels suffering from our own system.
Well, at least that's what I got out of it. :]
@MusicIsMyPassion It's absolutely anti capitalist. He's pointing out how capitalism harms us, how it convinces us to love something we made up (money) but I think you miss an important aspect, which is war, and I think the helicopters on the beach line represents that, the concept of invading and waging war (Vietnam) how war is used as a regular solution to our problems, we simply just take from others, it's an obvious thing to attack, the military industrial complex, it's clearly unethical, (like a helicopter in the sky on a clear day) But it's often dressed up (like we do in winter to celebrate the holidays)<br /> he speaks of the issue often so it reverberates in his lungs, nature is corrupted in many ways, and our own nature has been corrupted by war for profit.
"I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower That you made with plastic power Your rhinestone eyes are like Factories far away With the paralytic dreams that we all seem to keep Drive on engines til they weep we're Future pixels in factories far away"
could he be talking about industry and it's image with the 'scary gargoyle'?
"So call the mainland from the beach Our pod is now washed up in bleach the Waves are rising For this time of year And nobody knows what to do with the heat Under sunshine parts we'll all meet while Rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky"
He's talking about whales washing up on the beach 'in bleach'. the tides and temmpurature are changing because of pollution...
This song is about the deterioration of nature. In the clinky-cloncky down and dirty style like Happy Landfill. Great way to bring 2D's vocals into the album with his talk-singing.
What if he is using the environment as a metaphor for the way the music industry is going. Everything for the bottom dollar, pushing out fake shit, forcing creative people to make recycled plastic pop. It's like a transmission from inside the beast, where the beast is the industry.
In this line:
"Here we go to fly over the beach"
I hear this:
"Helicopters fly over the beach"
It makes more sense IMO.
i absolutely agree with puredeviation:<br /> <br /> In this line:<br /> <br /> "Here we go to fly over the beach"<br /> <br /> I hear this:<br /> <br /> "Helicopters fly over the beach"<br /> <br /> It makes more sense IMO.
@puredeviation the line is Helicopters Fly Over the beach
Song needs additional pylons
and cowbell
but, no, really, this is one of my favorite songs on the album
hahahaha, "cowbell"!
"Nature's corrupted In factories far away"
Nature to economists are only "resources" to be used anthropocentrically by ("civilized") humans. They are not forests, not rivers, not living beings, but rather lumber, hydroelectricity, trophy heads, etc. Our perception of nature is fucked as our globalized economy is based upon the systematic hyperexploitation and extraction of resources (earth) and turning it into deadness, products to be bought, pollution, "corruption".
Nooo! People need to stop generalizing economists as greedy people!!!! I am both a nature lover and an economics major :)<br /> <br /> But I think you hit the nail on the head with interpreting the song (and your comment is very articulate). It's like society has turned into an cold, emotionless machine extracting oil, cutting down trees, building smoke-stack factories, to gain more power, drive more growth, and expand only to convert more life into manufactured products (almost like a growing virus) just so we can sit on our fat asses and stare at the glowing plasma screen all day like robots because the jersey shore marathon is on.<br /> <br /> "All the birds and all that grows are<br /> Tapping at the natives in my soul"
This song reminds me of being on the dirty beaches of indiana, and seeing all the steel mills and oil refineries with their lights on at night across the lake.
I see this song as the lament of a person who sees the world of the Plastic Beach all around him now, but still sort of new, like when a system has just begun to hit full swing. He knows what the world USED to be like and he resents this new age. He could have remained in the past, but he came along because of a woman and now he's a joke, a scary primitive stone gargoyle, in the shiny new plastic world.