"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.
Hey! I've got a message and tonight and I'm gonna send it.
Yeah! I had a body and men with knives wanted to lend it.
Sold my body to the company
So I got the money now away I go and I say thank you Mr. CEO.
Hey! I've got some money and tonight I'm gonna spend it.
Yeah! They gave me a paper
And I went ahead and penned it and I say thank you Mr CEO.
I filled my pockets now I might as well -
Die! cause I found the backdoor out of teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die....
Heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I'm gonna die all right!
Hey! I lost the money seems like I can't comprehend it.
Yeah! Got a hole in my head gotta gotta mend it.
Too messed up to sit and settle down.
Too messed up to even mess around.
That's why your smiling Mr CEO.
I filled my pockets now I might as well -
Die! cause I found the backdoor out of teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die.... but not right now
Yeah why don't you do the same?
I got the money now I can't complain.
Except the tics won't go away oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!
And the way I feel tonight is gonna make me die all right.
Teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die....
Heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I'm gonna die all right!
Yeah! I had a body and men with knives wanted to lend it.
Sold my body to the company
So I got the money now away I go and I say thank you Mr. CEO.
Hey! I've got some money and tonight I'm gonna spend it.
Yeah! They gave me a paper
And I went ahead and penned it and I say thank you Mr CEO.
I filled my pockets now I might as well -
Die! cause I found the backdoor out of teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die....
Heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I'm gonna die all right!
Hey! I lost the money seems like I can't comprehend it.
Yeah! Got a hole in my head gotta gotta mend it.
Too messed up to sit and settle down.
Too messed up to even mess around.
That's why your smiling Mr CEO.
I filled my pockets now I might as well -
Die! cause I found the backdoor out of teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die.... but not right now
Yeah why don't you do the same?
I got the money now I can't complain.
Except the tics won't go away oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!
And the way I feel tonight is gonna make me die all right.
Teenage hell - all right!
Filed my account cause I might in fact - Die!
But I rely on science, yeah to bring me back - all right.
I.....'m gonna die....
Heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I'm gonna die all right!
Lyrics submitted by harmonicApparition
Die, All Right! Lyrics as written by Randy Fitzsimmons
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
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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
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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,
Punchline
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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.
um, i'm not sure why everyone thinks this song is about pharmaceutical testing.
i think it's just about selling your soul for money, particularly in show business. you sign your name/life away for cash...
"found the backdoor out of teenage hell"
i think it refers to just becoming rich. a lot of musicians aspire to be rich from a tender age.
maybe they are even referring to themselves or anyone else in the business that may be selling out for cash. there's a teeny bit of regret, or guilt... "except the tics won't go away." but in the end they push it away, brush it off, "i'm gonna die alright!"
@fuzzyjellybean This song is about a man who sells his soul to corporate culture. He needs money so he ‘sells his body to the company’. In the 6th and 7th lines, he states “they gave me a paper and I went ahead and penned it,” which represents him signing contracts that tie him into this company more permanently. Throughout the song he repeats “I’m gonna die,” showing his revelation that in this corporation he is losing his soul and individuality or ‘dying inside’. The lines you quoted specifically show a more in-depth explanation of how he’s “gonna die,” in that he can’t enjoy the same things he did before. The man recognizes he’s “too messed up even mess around,” or stuck so deeply in this web of contracts and the company’s exploitation of his labor that he can’t even find time to enjoy himself. Now seems as apt a time as any to explain the “men with knives,” in the second line who wanted to “lend his body.” These men represent those running the company, and by portraying them in this sinister fashion, he compares his joining this system to a hostage situation. While he can try to escape, or leave the company, the men with knives will cut him down, symbolic of how he can’t escape the contracts he has signed without serious monetary repercussions. The song ends with him repeating “heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I’m gonna die alright!” The sad reality has sunk in that he has no escape from the system, and his wages slowly sink him into poverty. He is only able to pursue money in order to keep his head above water, forgetting the morals he used to have and the reasons he originally pursued money. He has been turned into yet another slave of the corporate system, and even when he recognizes that he has penned his life away to the aforementioned “men with knives,” it’s to late for him to get out. This song showed the punk side of The Hives and was a clear example of their focus on rebellion against conformity. Hope this helps provide some insight and feel free to ask for clarification on other lines:)
this isn't about selling your body for science...it's about the man and the little guy..like a lot of hives songs....selling yourself to a company, you work hard, slowly loose your soul, you don't know how much of yourself you can sell and stay alive....but you cant complain because you have money now and your not dead yet and your willing to see how far you can push it for the sake of money.....long story short: you need money, sometimes you going to loose yourself to get it...
This song is about a man who sells his soul to corporate culture. He needs money so he ‘sells his body to the company’. In the 6th and 7th lines, he states “they gave me a paper and I went ahead and penned it,” which represents him signing contracts that tie him into this company more permanently. Throughout the song he repeats “I’m gonna die,” showing his revelation that in this corporation he is losing his soul and individuality or ‘dying inside’. The lines you quoted specifically show a more in-depth explanation of how he’s “gonna die,” in that he can’t enjoy the same things he did before. The man recognizes he’s “too messed up even mess around,” or stuck so deeply in this web of contracts and the company’s exploitation of his labor that he can’t even find time to enjoy himself. Now seems as apt a time as any to explain the “men with knives,” in the second line who wanted to “lend his body.” These men represent those running the company, and by portraying them in this sinister fashion, he compares his joining this system to a hostage situation. While he can try to escape, or leave the company, the men with knives will cut him down, symbolic of how he can’t escape the contracts he has signed without serious monetary repercussions. The song ends with him repeating “heavy morals seem so light but when it comes to cash I’m gonna die alright!” The sad reality has sunk in that he has no escape from the system, and his wages slowly sink him into poverty. He is only able to pursue money in order to keep his head above water, forgetting the morals he used to have and the reasons he originally pursued money. He has been turned into yet another slave of the corporate system, and even when he recognizes that he has penned his life away to the aforementioned “men with knives,” it’s to late for him to get out. This song showed the punk side of The Hives and was a clear example of their focus on rebellion against conformity. Hope this helps provide some insight and feel free to ask for clarification on other lines:)
dammit, no-one has posted anythin here? Its a shame, cos right now the hives are pretty much the most exiting thing that has happened to music in a very long time. Ok its fair to say that maybe they are not bringing anything new to the rock scene, but these guys sure know how to write a song, and they will blow you away live. This is by far my favourite song by them.
the hives kick ass this is definitely one of their finest
mmmm....i love the hives. i'm seeing them next month...so happy!
This song is pure punk rock. The hives are the best band on the planet, and this is one of the fine example, my fav song by them too, prophet
"Too messed up to sit and settle down. Too messed up to even mess around." Love how they sing those lines...
erm, what exactly do you all think this song means? I dont like sounding stupid.. but i'm not quite sure.
This song seems to mean that he has a problem with spending money. And that he uses it to buy things to help him escape "teenage hell". That is why he says thank you mr.ceo because he is basically referring to the company that gave him money to screw his self up. JUST MY OPINION I COULD BE WRONG!!!!
Hmm.. this song rules, the riff is easy - but so hooky it stays in my head all day. The Hives rule I don't care how easy it is.