"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.
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
Jesus was a black man
No Jesus was Batman
No, no, no, no, not at all
That was Bruce Wayne
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest brain
For a year I did bang her
And Dennis sleeps fucked off
He'll surface again
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
He never a sad man
Or so call mean bad man
Or that's just down to the strain
Well he hand out fish man
With his centred parted sun tan
Then cut all the lame
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest
Who got the richest brain
Jesus was a black man
No Jesus was Batman
No, no, no, no, fuck
That was Bruce Wayne
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
We lead double lives
We deal in sex and beautiful women
Contemplating
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
Most of these men sing like surfs
Jesus was a black man
No Jesus was Batman
No, no, no, no, not at all
That was Bruce Wayne
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest brain
For a year I did bang her
And Dennis sleeps fucked off
He'll surface again
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
He never a sad man
Or so call mean bad man
Or that's just down to the strain
Well he hand out fish man
With his centred parted sun tan
Then cut all the lame
Who got the biggest
Who got the biggest
Who got the richest brain
Jesus was a black man
No Jesus was Batman
No, no, no, no, fuck
That was Bruce Wayne
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
We lead double lives
We deal in sex and beautiful women
Contemplating
Don't talk to me about heroes
Most of these men sing like Surfs
Don't talk to me about your big big heroes
Most of these men sing like surfs
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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 effort... and great song. i was surprised to discover that there was only two of their songs in the database. they should be more popular
I also think that the line is "most of these men seem like serfs" since a serf is essentially a slave. Makes a lot more sense.
Additionally, I think that start of the 2nd stanza/verse is: Whose got the biggest Whose got the biggest Whose got the biggest brain
And, I think that later, the lyrics are: Well he handed out fish man With his center parted sun tan Then cured all the lame
I don't agree that it doesn't have any meaning. I think it's very clearly saying that hero worship is stupid.
Yes, Shaun Ryder did change his lyrics, just evidentally, you got them wrong too. Shaun wanted to say initially "Most of these GUYS SNORT cocaine" (you can't smoke coc'). He then changed it to "most of these men seem like SURFS". Which Ryder firstly wanted to say "Smurfs" but he had a slight fear of a copyright breech.
Always seemed to me that he was singing "sing like serfs" i.e. servants to the rich and powerful. He's saying that people who some think as heroes are actually just the same as you and me - they are servants to the "system". Just a thought!
Sorry meant "seem like serfs" not like "sing" but the meanings the same - only slightly clearer.
all my own work and consequently it's probably wrong. I’m still not sure if he’s saying, surfs, subs, suggs? I doubt its got any particular meaning, its just a quality load of nonsence
I hear "most of these men seem like serfs"
Better lyrics than I could have done Riviera! I'm going with "sink like subs" rather than "sing like surfs" though. Will we ever know? And does it really matter?
Been wondering what that song was about for years: The lyrics to single Kelly's Heroes had to be changed for the album. The original line
Don't talk to me about heroes, most of these men smoke cocaine' had to be changed toDon't talk to me about heroes, most of these men sink like subs'. Why? Because the song also contains the linesJesus was a black man, No Jesus was bat-man'. Recording execs were worried that this might be taken to imply that Jesus smoked cocaine. Black Grape always sang thecocaine' version of the lyrics live, including on MTV, where they were edited out. PEACEin Shaun Ryder's autobiography, he says it's actually "stink like subs"
he tells a funny anecdote where someone was asking him why he didn't like Serbians and he was puzzled until he realized they thought he was singing "stink like Serbs"
I always thought it was sing like Suggs cos Suggs just kinda speaks...
It's "serfs" not surfs and it was originally "these men do cocaine"