"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.
She said, "It's cold outside," and she hands me my raincoat
She's always worried about things like that
Well, she said, "It's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault"
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams, and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
And she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe it"
Well, she's got a little bit of something, God, it's better than nothing
And in her color portrait world, she believes that she's got it all
She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams (screams) and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Well, heaven she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, she believes that life isn't made up of all that you're used to
And the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
But outside, it's stopped raining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Heaven, she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely (I must be lonely)
Well, heaven, she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes"
She's always worried about things like that
Well, she said, "It's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault"
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams, and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
And she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe it"
Well, she's got a little bit of something, God, it's better than nothing
And in her color portrait world, she believes that she's got it all
She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams (screams) and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Well, heaven she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, she believes that life isn't made up of all that you're used to
And the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
But outside, it's stopped raining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Heaven, she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely (I must be lonely)
Well, heaven, she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes"
Lyrics submitted by punkmebabygal
3 A.M. Lyrics as written by Brian Yale Robert Thomas
Lyrics © TECKLAH MUSIC, TABITHA'S SECRET MUSIC INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
So I heard today on tv that he wrote it when his mom had cancer and then once that was over it was just his mom's theme song and wow that just meant so much to me. My mom has breast cancer right now, I wish I had the talent to write such a meaningful beautiful song. I love them!
Yes to ajkdanceq92 I agree if the songwriter wrote about a personal experience-3 a.m. it's very lonely while in the hospital it's when morning shift comes on at 4 a.m.-so there is quiet bustling around to inform the next staff of the patients status. I hope she recovered.
I could never quite understand this song, now I have read what people have said about it, makes sense that it is about someone (his mum) who has seen pain and death and gone beyond that and so is a bit mixed up, and his having to deal with her erratic behaviour. It is about how life is so quick to leave us, how a future can suddenly seem impermenant, she seems to have reacted to its impermenance by becoming erratic and almost irresponsible, like nothing matters because it is all going to be taken away again so soon, and even though she has survived it doesnt mean that they wont still all die some time in the future, so nothing really makes sense or matters any more, there is no permenance but in our ultimate isolation and loss, we have nothing and we have everything, because it is irrelavent what we have or what we lose, it all ends anyway. but before i read these explanations it made me think about myself and my boyfriend. I'm pretty mixed up and erratic in my behaviour, getting depressed and flippant about life in that way, anxiety or whatever. This song sounds like it is written from my boyfriends point of view observing me. there is a lonliness even when you are with those that you love, when something isnt right with your mental health - it makes us both alone in our love.
This song is AMAZING. Yes, it is about his mom when she was battling cancer. It's means something else to me though. I went through a phase in my life where I was going absolutely INSANE. I had post pardom depression, never left the house and lost all my friends. I began to have cabin fever but I didn't even want to leave the house because I was afraid of the world. This lasted almost a year and thank GOD I'm outta that phase in my life! Everything is wonderful now but this song reminds me of myself back then. "The clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days/She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her dooryway" Genius.
When I was younger I hated every single Matchbox 20 song but now that I'm older & understand the meanings..I love almost every one of their songs! So deep...
This song always has, and always will make me bawl.
As a child, my mother was an alcoholic and I only lived with her until I was nine. She always played this song when she was drinking. And the sentimental value of it is endless.
I remember watching MTV when I was young, and Rob said this song was about his mom coming home drunk. So as a child, I could really relate.
My mom used to get drunk in the summer, stuff me in the car, and drive around the river at night listening to this. When I hear this song, I can still smell dirt and rust.
'She says it's cold outside and she hands me my raincoat; she's always worried about things like that.' My mom was always worried and focused on the small things, never her addiction.
'She says it's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault.' My mom often blamed me for her addiction.
'It's 3 A.M., I must be lonely' It was around 3 A.M. that she made me go on these drives. I was in second grade, and it was often on school nights. But God, would I try so hard to stay up for her...
@s4v4nn4h1 Man, this got tears welled in my eyes because my parents struggled with addiction too and I was like, "Shit, I wasn't the only one." Way to stay strong though.
@s4v4nn4h1 @s4v4nn4h1 I stumbled across this today and just wanted to say, "WOW." Loss for words after reading your perfectly detailed short letter. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing and I hope/pray your relationship with your mother is amazing and wonderful today. You are strong.
@s4v4nn4h1 I wonder whether the line is:<br /> <br /> 'She says "It's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault." ' (meaning she's blaming herself) or;<br /> <br /> 'She says "It's all gonna end" and it might as well be my fault' (meaning Rob is blaming himself) or<br /> <br /> 'She says it's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault' (meaning she's blaming Rob)<br /> <br /> Any of those interpretations could work.
this song is written and dedicated to the songwriter's mom, who had cancer.
I had no idea. Thank you.
The acoustic version is so moving. It made me cry when I first heard it. You can concentrate on the lyrics without worrying about anything else. It's absolutely beautiful, and so sad at the same time.
I know this is about his mum, but I like imagining that this song is about being in a relationship with someone who suffers for anxiety or depression... It would be a very original and well written song for the argument.
@rlix O trust me, I've been in relationships like that.
@rlix O trust me, I've been in relationships like that.
Great song...Meaning eludes me. Could someone help me out please?
I saw Rob do this as a piano acoustic on Storytellers and told the story of his mother fighting cancer when he was like 14 years old and this is the story of it
I always liked this song, I dunno why, it's my favourite of theirs. I never knew wut it was about though... Now I know :) My favourite line is: she thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway. Poor Rob though, I'm 14 & I'd hate for my mom to have cancer. That's about all I have to say.