"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.
I hear a sound, a sound above my head
Distant sound of thunder, moving out on the moor
Blackbirds flew in and to the cooling towers
I'll pack my bags
Thinking of one of those hours
With you, waiting for you
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust
I long to feel some beauty in my heart
As I go searching, right to the start
The road back to Preston
Was covered all in snow
As I went looking for that stolen heart
For you, waiting for you
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
Takes an effort, it does
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
It's in the kingdom of rust
Oh, in the kingdom of rust
I long to feel that wince in my heart
As I went looking
I couldn't stop
Now I'm waiting for you
Oh, yes, it does
I know it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust
Distant sound of thunder, moving out on the moor
Blackbirds flew in and to the cooling towers
I'll pack my bags
Thinking of one of those hours
With you, waiting for you
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust
I long to feel some beauty in my heart
As I go searching, right to the start
The road back to Preston
Was covered all in snow
As I went looking for that stolen heart
For you, waiting for you
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
Takes an effort, it does
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
It's in the kingdom of rust
Oh, in the kingdom of rust
I long to feel that wince in my heart
As I went looking
I couldn't stop
Now I'm waiting for you
Oh, yes, it does
I know it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust
Lyrics submitted by wednesday181, edited by huw1085121
Kingdom of Rust Lyrics as written by Jez Williams Andy Williams
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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
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."
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.
great to have the doves back with this awesome song.
seems, imo, to be a song about being deeply in love with someone who isn't available ("went looking for that stolen heart"), but as opposed to trying to get to them and controlling the situation themselves, they decide to let things happen in their own due time, to let go, wait to see if they will ever return the love they feel. it doesn't seem that this is something that comes very easily, willingly, as the person from this perspective is in love. "my god, it takes an ocean of trust" to believe that the other person will one day come around if they just learn to let go and not force the situation.. and so they wait.
the line "i long to feel that wince in my heart" is absolutely great. describes well the sensation of being in love, imo.
Reportedly, Jimi wrote this song for his late father who died while the band was recording Kingdom of Rust. In this case, kingdomofrust's explanation is the closest, it just needs to be appropriately adjusted for his father instead of a lover.
@Phoenix10k Bingo.Great job.You researched and did like a reporter.it can mean any loved one honestly...
Great song, this one is a grows on you,
The term 'kingdom of rust' is probably referring to this world where everything ages(rust decays slowly) and then dies naturally.
I have to agree he is deeply in love with someone(most probably a girl) who isn't available because they have passed away: 'videos shows him scattering the ashes at the sea in the end'
So in order to remember his lover he is going back to where he met her first, at the beach: 'As I go searching Right to the start'
He is religious and is tempted to committ suicide but is saying its is so hard to hold on to your faith: 'My god It takes an ocean of trust Takes an effort, it does'
He is exptecing he would feel his lover's presence when he goes to the sea to scatter the ashes and feel that 'wince' in his heart: I long to feel That wince in my heart As I went looking
Now he is going to wait to die naturally where he will meet his lover in the hereafter: 'I couldn't stop Now I'm Waiting for you'
Just wanted to put what I hear in this verse:<br /> <br /> I long to feel<br /> That wince in my heart<br /> As I went looking<br /> <br /> 'I couldn't STARVE (not stop)<br /> Now I'm<br /> Waiting for you'<br /> <br /> Doesn't really change the meaning much though...
The phrase "Kingdom of rust" could well refer to the decayed industry of the region. Could be an allegory to his relationship with his first love from the area and/or his family?
And so each venture Is a new beginning, a raid on the inarticulate With shabby equipment always deteriorating In the general mess of imprecision of feeling, Undisciplined squads of emotion. And what there is to conquer By strength and submission, has already been discovered Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope To emulate–but there is no competition– There is only the fight to recover what has been lost And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss. For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
unintelligible part is 100% "yes it does" it makes sense too and also he says that thru out the song
Bear with me cause I'm not that deep.
i think the song overall is about questioning his faith during a tragedy, whether it be loss of a loved one or a relationship or whatever.
my, god it takes an ocean of trust sounds like he's saying its impossible to put all his faith in someone,something, god, whoever while his world is crumbling around him (the kingdom of rust).
But at the end he's come to the realization that he just has to have faith(i know it takes an ocean of trust).
i say this because at the end of the video when he emptied the ashes and he was crying it seemed that he was happy.
so it all works out in the end, just have to have faith.
great song!
The first unintelligble bits sound like:
The road back to Preston was covered all in snow So I went looking for that stolen [still unintelligible!]
In the video you see a motorway sign to Preston, and although he's not going "back" there it is mentioned so that makes me think that what the lyric is
Yeah, after listening to a lower quality version of the song (thus, making the string not quite so symphonic and allowing the vocals to stand out a little better), I thought I heard Preston in there over the weekend. Re-checked the video (since I'm American - I haven't a clue as to most UK city names, so sometimes they go over my head), saw the street sign, and pretty much came to the same conclusion. Thanks for the help!
no problem. I have just attempted lyrics for Jetstream which are just awaiting moderation so if you want to return the favour you can have a check of my lyrics!
The "unintelligible" part sounds a bit to me like "it's hard" ...idk just throwing that out there :)
Preston is a small town in Lacashire, NW England.
The 'cooling towers' are those of a nuclear power plant. Preston happens to be powered by one.