"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.
Dis empowered, the scattering flock
Dances in a fever at the castle rock
Dust-devil cypress and ripening fruit
Ascending quick into the author's bathroom
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
Uninvited, we'll stay if we want
Searching through your closets for your grandfather's gun
We will swim in your kidney, kidney-shaped pool
Scratching at the bottom for another clue, yeah
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can say to you
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
Dances in a fever at the castle rock
Dust-devil cypress and ripening fruit
Ascending quick into the author's bathroom
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
Uninvited, we'll stay if we want
Searching through your closets for your grandfather's gun
We will swim in your kidney, kidney-shaped pool
Scratching at the bottom for another clue, yeah
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can say to you
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
I think you have to sit with this for a while to get it, but I might be wrong about that...
Cake is super ironic, sometimes cynical, but always underneath it's because John McCrea is really sensitive... you get kind of sarcastic when you care in life and you get pissed on. Welcome to humanity.
Anyway, I think there's a few things that are just thrown in there as either un-knowable references, or things to throw you off from the main plot. But overall, I think the plot is this: Guy goes out dancing with a group of friends, one of whom he's in love with. She meets another dude (probably black), and goes with him.
Now before you jump to a bunch of conclusions, try it on. Fawn, Jo, and Tootsie are out on a wire: these 3 friends are wired, i.e., on a drug bender... Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire... they get stoned, and then want to screw the next random dude (ever met anyone like that? nah, never).
So, to end the whole discussion about whether it's "Rick James takes her new" vs. "takes her nude", it's nude. You can't hear it in the first chorus, but you can clearly hear it in the second, and there's even emphasis on the "d" sound in the second one. And it's intended, as so often with Cake songs, to be heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Here's this bouncy melody, la di da, oh and by the way, here's my girlfriend fucking some random dude. Maximum impact, classic Cake. (I love that.)
And there's nothing I can do. And there's nothing I can say to you. I've got a lot of work to do? Hmm. I think she's his girlfriend, he's more in love than she is, and she's mad at him for something he's done (or failed to do), so to punish him she's gone off with some random dude. He, having an inferiority complex as he does, takes all the responsibility on himself -- he's got a lot of work to do in order to gain her love. He guesses he'll leave it up to her. As any weenie would.
As to why Rick James, I don't think it's literal, I just think that's a derogatory reference to the random dude that his girlfriend just went off with.
Actually, I've been pondering the meaning of this song for a while, and I've only come to one possible meaning so far... An average Joe wanting some kind of revenge on a rock star (Rick James), who has all that he wants.
In the first verse, a concert scene is being described, "the scattering flock" being fans. "Ascending quick into the author's bathroom" could mean the celebrity's dressing room, just an assumption, though. This basically represents what Rick James has, and the other man does not.
"Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude (new?) And there's nothing I can do" -- Rick James has the girl that he wants, and he got her easily. There's nothing else he can really do, since Rick James is famous, and he doesn't stand a chance.
The second verse kind of sounds like describing the actual ac of revenge, possibly a break-in ("Uninvited, we'll stay if we want"), possibly to get blackmail on the celebrity ("searching through your closets for your grandfather's gun" and "scratching at the bottom for another clue")
Anyhow, just my humble opinion, and I'm afraid this has turned into a bit of a rant, anyway.
I agree. this song has really good imagrey and this song describes a feeling perfectly. I just can't put my finger on what that feeling is...
Hmm, I always thought it was 'lettuce-toothed junkies', ie, rotten, flat teeth.
Its lattis toothed junlies you moron. Like a lattis fence.
Its lattis toothed junkies. Not junlies, ooops.
No sure about the line: " Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire"
To me, it sounds like, and makes more sense as: "Fangio and Tootsie are out on a wire, there's two junkies all full of desire"
Fangio is man's name. Tootsie a woman. Two of them. Both with desire.
$0.02
I have no clue what it means beyond what it says...I kinda understand in my head, but that doesn't help in explaining it. Love the song tho.
hey well, for one thing, i think the lyrics are wrong? its fon, jo, and tootsie are out on a wire mans tooth junkies are full of desire meanwhile rick james takes her new
and im SURE its meanwhile rick james takkes her new and not nude
i think the song means that he (the singer) is kind of tired of taking care of rick james (whoever that is) and he doesnt want to ne more. but besides that, i dunno
This is my favorite Cake song, but I can't really say what it meants, except that Rick James was a rock star who went through alot of rock star problems like drug addiciton and the like. I'm not sure, but I might have heard John McCrea's friends with him.
I'm pretty sure it's takes her 'nude', since that's actually a phrase people use, where as takes her 'new' really doesn't have any meaning I can think of.
Not that I have any clue what the song is about. Rick James is a rock star, though, like Wrapid said. Just watch the Chappelle show. =D
super freak, super freak. give it to me baby.
^--its gotta be nude, not new