"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.
Spoon in spoon
Stirring my coffee, I
Thought of you and turned to the gate
On my way came up with the answers
I scratched my head, and the answers were gone
From hand to hand
Wrist to the elbow, red
Blood sand - could Dad be God
Crosses cross hung out like a wet rag,
Forgive you, why -- you hung me out to dry
Maybe I'm crazy
But laughing out loud makes the pain pass by
And maybe you're a little crazy
But laughing out loud makes it all subside
Holding I'm holding
I'm still falling, I'm still falling
Spoon in spoon
Stirring my coffee, I
Thought of this and turned to the gate
But on my way, crack lightning and thunder
I hid my head and the storm slipped away, well
Maybe I'm crazy
And laughing out loud makes it all pass by
And maybe you're a little crazy
And laughing out loud makes it all alright
Laughing out loud
From time to time
Minutes and hours, some
Move ahead while some lag behind, It's like
The balloon that rise and then vanish, this
Drop of hope that falls from his eyes
Spoon in spoon
Stirring my coffee, I
Think of this and turn to go away
But as I walk there're voices behind me saying
Sinners sin - come now and play
Come now and play
-----
Last Stop Reprise (hidden track)
Come in from the cold for a while
Everything will be alright
Come in from the noise for a time
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright
For now, goodbye
Friend, goodbye
Stirring my coffee, I
Thought of you and turned to the gate
On my way came up with the answers
I scratched my head, and the answers were gone
From hand to hand
Wrist to the elbow, red
Blood sand - could Dad be God
Crosses cross hung out like a wet rag,
Forgive you, why -- you hung me out to dry
Maybe I'm crazy
But laughing out loud makes the pain pass by
And maybe you're a little crazy
But laughing out loud makes it all subside
Holding I'm holding
I'm still falling, I'm still falling
Spoon in spoon
Stirring my coffee, I
Thought of this and turned to the gate
But on my way, crack lightning and thunder
I hid my head and the storm slipped away, well
Maybe I'm crazy
And laughing out loud makes it all pass by
And maybe you're a little crazy
And laughing out loud makes it all alright
Laughing out loud
From time to time
Minutes and hours, some
Move ahead while some lag behind, It's like
The balloon that rise and then vanish, this
Drop of hope that falls from his eyes
Spoon in spoon
Stirring my coffee, I
Think of this and turn to go away
But as I walk there're voices behind me saying
Sinners sin - come now and play
Come now and play
-----
Last Stop Reprise (hidden track)
Come in from the cold for a while
Everything will be alright
Come in from the noise for a time
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright
For now, goodbye
Friend, goodbye
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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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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Page
Ed Sheeran
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song is indeed beautiful, even on a level above most DMB songs. And they say there are no good hymns any more! I think if people actually heard good, thought-provoking songs like this or One of Us at church people might think differently!