In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
There's a stranger in a car
Driving down your street
Acts like he knows who you are
Slaps his hand on the empty seat and says
"Are you gonna get in
Or are you gonna stay out?"
Just a stranger in a car
Might be the one they told you about
Well you never were one for cautiousness
You open the door
He gives you a tender kiss
And you can't even hear them no more
All the voices of choices
Now only one road remains
And strangers in a car
Two hearts
Two souls
Tonight
Two lanes
You don't know where you're goin'
You don't know what you're doin'
Hell it might be the highway to heaven
And it might be the road to ruin
But this is a song
For strangers in a car
Baby maybe that's all
We really are
Strangers in a car
(Driving down your street)
Just strangers in a car
(Driving down your street)
Strangers in a car
Driving down your street
Acts like he knows who you are
Slaps his hand on the empty seat and says
"Are you gonna get in
Or are you gonna stay out?"
Just a stranger in a car
Might be the one they told you about
Well you never were one for cautiousness
You open the door
He gives you a tender kiss
And you can't even hear them no more
All the voices of choices
Now only one road remains
And strangers in a car
Two hearts
Two souls
Tonight
Two lanes
You don't know where you're goin'
You don't know what you're doin'
Hell it might be the highway to heaven
And it might be the road to ruin
But this is a song
For strangers in a car
Baby maybe that's all
We really are
Strangers in a car
(Driving down your street)
Just strangers in a car
(Driving down your street)
Strangers in a car
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Strangers in a Car Lyrics as written by Marc Cohn
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"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.
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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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/
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saw marc in concert tonight. he was awesome! he said that this song was about a dream he had one night about a decade ago. said that he still doesn't know what it means either. :)
I found this explanation on a marc cohn forum: "I do recall with certainty Marc explaining that the song came about from a dream he was having where someone was abducted. He woke and went straight to the piano where the wonderful chords progression emerged. He then started singing the song and wrote the lyrics in about 20 minutes."
I'm not a fan of marc cohn, but this song is one of my all time favourites...
i can't believe there are so few comments on this song. from the moment my boyfriend played it me, i've loved it and it is in my opinion one of the best songs ever written. the chord progression is amazing, and the way he changes it on the "intense" moments from D/F G to G D is fantastic. ilove the lyrics because they could apply to so many things, such as two lovers and how no one really knows what will happen - "You don't know where you're goin' You don't know what you're doin' Hell it might be the highway to heaven And it might be the road to ruin"
"Baby maybe that's all We really are" - this line is delivered so emotionally and together with the music, it moves me to tears every time i hear it. i love this song.
xUnbreakablex, I agree that this song is underrated. I'm a big Cohn fan, especially of his latest and his very early works. This song means so much to me, no matter what inspired it. I think it is such a beautiful song and I find that every time I hear it, it evokes such strong emotions in me.
I always thought (even though he made a comment about an abduction, which casts quite a different light on things) that this was about taking a chance on someone, taking a chance on that stranger who "might be the one they told you about." For me, it is about that person always standing in the background, who knows you so well, and all that it would take was taking that leap, trusting that the person will be there to catch you. I also think that his line at the end, "Baby, maybe that's all we really are," is a dooming of the relationship--he realizes that maybe this love that seemed to fated isn't going to happen; that maybe it is meant to be but people's fears hold them back, so they are left with just two hearts and souls on different paths.
Man, comments around here are sparse! This song needs some more love.
To me, as to other people on here, this song is largely about taking risks in life. You have lots of choices to make in your life, but you can't choose all of them. You have to take a chance and make a singular choice, the "one road".
The part about "...that's all we really are: strangers in a car" means to me that we're all in the same boat, so to speak. We don't really know many other people in this world as we drift along in our lives and most of us are strangers to each other, but we're all human beings who have choices to make and lives to lead.