"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.
It is the end of all hope
To lose the child, the faith
To end all the innocence
To be someone like me
This is the birth of all hope
To have what I once had
This life unforgiven
It will end with a birth
No will to wake for this morn
To see another black rose born
Deathbed is slowly covered with snow
Angels, they fell first but I'm still here
Alone as they are drawing near
In heaven my masterpiece will finally be sung
Wounded is the deer that leaps highest
And my wound it cuts so deep
Turn off the light and let me pull the plug
Mandylion without a face
Death wish without a prayer
End of hope
End of love
End of time
The rest is silence
To lose the child, the faith
To end all the innocence
To be someone like me
This is the birth of all hope
To have what I once had
This life unforgiven
It will end with a birth
No will to wake for this morn
To see another black rose born
Deathbed is slowly covered with snow
Angels, they fell first but I'm still here
Alone as they are drawing near
In heaven my masterpiece will finally be sung
Wounded is the deer that leaps highest
And my wound it cuts so deep
Turn off the light and let me pull the plug
Mandylion without a face
Death wish without a prayer
End of hope
End of love
End of time
The rest is silence
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
I agree with all my soul. Nightwish is undoubtedly one of the best power-metal bands of our time. You aren't likely to find much better.