"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.
There's no beast,
Obviously.
The floor just creaks,
Obviously.
The morning with coffee was snowy and sweet,
And there was this small, snow-white dog
That was barking at our feet,
Honestly.
drove all day to the vacant beach.
Grey mist hanging over the sea,
Alleys clogged with magazines,
And the boardwalk is empty.
The house in the valley is open this week,
Imagine the sea looking in
At the slowly moving sheets.
Honestly.
If you feel weak, leave it to me.
If you need sleep, leave it to me.
Need wool socks for your feet, leave it to me.
Need a walk on the beach, leave it to me.
An ear into which to weep, leave it to me.
A shoulder on which to sleep, leave it to me.
And leave it to me to not speak
When I pass you on the street.
Leave it to me to feel weak,
Leave it to me to run from your feet.
Leave it to me to not speak
When I pass you on the street,
Leave it to me to feel weak,
Leave it to me, number thirty-three,
Leave it to me.
Obviously.
The floor just creaks,
Obviously.
The morning with coffee was snowy and sweet,
And there was this small, snow-white dog
That was barking at our feet,
Honestly.
drove all day to the vacant beach.
Grey mist hanging over the sea,
Alleys clogged with magazines,
And the boardwalk is empty.
The house in the valley is open this week,
Imagine the sea looking in
At the slowly moving sheets.
Honestly.
If you feel weak, leave it to me.
If you need sleep, leave it to me.
Need wool socks for your feet, leave it to me.
Need a walk on the beach, leave it to me.
An ear into which to weep, leave it to me.
A shoulder on which to sleep, leave it to me.
And leave it to me to not speak
When I pass you on the street.
Leave it to me to feel weak,
Leave it to me to run from your feet.
Leave it to me to not speak
When I pass you on the street,
Leave it to me to feel weak,
Leave it to me, number thirty-three,
Leave it to me.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
This song is about a relationship between the speaker and the other person in the song. He and the person used to live together in, or he would visit, a house numbered 33 on whatever street. The first half of the song, I think, is set in the past, when the couple were still together. The first line of the song speaks to a previous shared fear that there are monsters in the house, but retrospectively (even the morning after), the speaker understands that what they two thought were the sounds monsters made were merely the normal creaks of any old house. The two go on to have a lovely, everyday morning, the likes of which are well-known to anyone who has every been in a happy relationship. This morning is followed by a day spent at an abandoned beach. Who would go to the beach on a winter day? This couple would. They're both special in the same way, both appreciate the same kinds of things. There's a kind of sadness at the beach that sort of foreshadows what happens to this couple. (The monster of stanza one foreshadows in the same way.)
In the third stanza/chorus, the speaker is saying that whatever the other person needs, he will provide, so great is his love. And in the end we see that the relationship did not work out; the speaker, perhaps because he still loves the other person, will give that person the space they need, and will run from them if he sees them in the street, so great is his pain that things did not work out. The title of the song comes from the speaker passing house number 33 on whatever street. He does not, cannot, go into the house; all he can do is pass by and remember the way things were.
I love this song. It was sent to me by a guy whom I love and who loves me but with whom I can't have a normal relationship for various reasons. I find it sad and beautiful and fitting of our situation. This is just one of our many songs.