"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.
Why drink the water
from my hand?
Contagious as you think I am
Just tilt my sun towards
your domain.
Your cup runneth over again.
Don't scream about
Don't think aloud
Turn your head now baby
Just spit me out
Don't worry about
Don't speak of doubt
Turn your head now baby
Just spit me out
Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am.
Don't throw away your basic needs,
Ambiance and vanity.
December promise you gave unto me
December whispers of treachery
December clouds are now covering me
December songs no longer I sing
from my hand?
Contagious as you think I am
Just tilt my sun towards
your domain.
Your cup runneth over again.
Don't scream about
Don't think aloud
Turn your head now baby
Just spit me out
Don't worry about
Don't speak of doubt
Turn your head now baby
Just spit me out
Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am.
Don't throw away your basic needs,
Ambiance and vanity.
December promise you gave unto me
December whispers of treachery
December clouds are now covering me
December songs no longer I sing
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
This song has very Christian underpinnings as do many Collective Soul songs (Run, The World I Know, Shine, Simple to name a small sample). "cup runneth over" is a direct quote from Psalm 23:5, he's just playing with context by saying "Your" instead of "My." He also references the common sins of our day: Ambiance and Vanity, our "basic needs." The song is a subtle blend of social commentary in light of Christian ideals. I think you'll fin these guys are no ordinary rock band if you listen to the songs I mentioned. Very good music.
you are right, bytor. I posted a longer comment detailing the whole song in light of the bible.
It seems that a lot of people, maybe younger people don't get the Christian meaning to a lot of C>S>'s songs. Persuasion of you, Bearing Witness, .I've looked up to try to find out if the group are a Christian group. I'm not into Christian music, but if you listen to a lot of C>S>'s songs and put God in the place of where you think their singing about a girl , you'll see it.
lol...i cant some of you thought it was about a blow job...i live in georgia and my dad,mom, and step dad all knew Ed and his band before they were even called collective soul. One thing i know is that Ed's dad is a preacher and thats why his songs are religious....and a blow job isn't very moving to me, but whatever floats your boat......
the lyric "turn your head now baby just spit me out" I believe is a reference to a part of the bible where Christ says your either for me or against me, you cant be in the middle and people who are in the middle makes him sick and he throws them up out his mouth... its basically u dont agree with me, yet u follow me, so its either choose a side or stay in the middle and throw me up...
From what I recall, Ed Roland (lead singer/songwriter) was writing about the band's relationship with their former manager Bill Richardson. There was a big lawsuit and court battle shortly after this album (Collective Soul, 1995) was released. Ed felt betrayed by him. The Disciplined Breakdown album's lyrical content had similar influences.
Thanks for that tidbit. Nice to hear what inspired the song. Ed Roland uses a lot of christian imagery to express the situation.
Bravo! Excellent posts. Your responses fit both the band's backgound and the lyrics. Thank you.
I don't know. From the lyrics, it seems that the relationship has gone sour, the hatred has settled in, and then all of a sudden the girl has come crawling back to the guy and he can't bring himself to forgive her for everything she did to him.
This one is pretty complicated to the point that I'm not sure of this, but I think it's about a guy and his "New Year Resolution's" talking to him. And then him seeing failure in not keeping those expectations (December promise you gave unto me......).
This song is amazing, and everyone has heard it, they just don't know it by the band or Title. I agree with Csoulman on the meaning. It's definitly about the demise of a friendship/relationship.
I think this guy is really bitter about losing someone. A girl who he loved, and he sees he was really stupid to love her because shes really shallow, but he still is very bitter about it. Very stormy relationship ^_^ WHEE!
I think the general consensus is way off......Think about it as a CHristian.......WHat happened in December???? Why drink the water from my hand is about Jesus asking for you to forgive yourself of your sins but you can't you only use religion when you need it....Just tilt the sun...Is about all the materials you pocess. Don't scream, think, work and speak refer to ones opposition to religion and spitting out the body of Christ like a communion that you received (the body of christ).....Why follow me to higher ground refers to having your spirit lifted, but why follow if your only looking only to run back to your greed, ambiance and vanity...basically your selfishness......he end refers to the crucifiction of Jesus to sacrifice himself of your sins.
Its about the struggle with spiritual beliefs. Why follow me to higher ground? Contagious as you think I am.