"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.
You want a guy who can bring the bacon
And you want a guy with savoir faire
Somebody who can take control of it
Someone with cool black shiny hair
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
Captain Kirk went to the planet
And there he fought the mad lizard
He saved the ship, invented the gun powder
But that's just not good enough for you is it . . . no
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
You sit all night at your computer
Drinking Diet Dr. Pepper
Looking for an answer to it all
Say the words, say the words
Say, say, say the words
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
Me
Than me
And you want a guy with savoir faire
Somebody who can take control of it
Someone with cool black shiny hair
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
Captain Kirk went to the planet
And there he fought the mad lizard
He saved the ship, invented the gun powder
But that's just not good enough for you is it . . . no
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
You sit all night at your computer
Drinking Diet Dr. Pepper
Looking for an answer to it all
Say the words, say the words
Say, say, say the words
You don't want a boyfriend
What you want is Mr. Spock
To come to your wasteland
And destroy the robot
Something more than human
Someone with blood that's golden green
You want something better
Than me
Me
Than me
Lyrics submitted by shakingbrave, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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,
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Also the line 'someone with blood thats golden green' should be 'blood that's cold and green'.