"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.
My hearts stopped pumping but my blood is still alive.
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (Swallows drop in and dice the sky)
My eyes wake up but my brain is sleeping fine. (Tracing lines of cursive on the horizon)
One more thing for you and I to do before (Cuttin' cat faces in the pine)
We shut our eyes, and that's blame (Cuttin' cat faces in the pine)
Me and I'll blame you, and we're both right.
Cuttin cat faces in the pines
They say his teeth are wood and they want my pictures of him. (Mark the path back to the point of departure)
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (2 by 2 and 4 by 4, the pines, they lay down)
We're wood screws, all of our lives
Yeah, we're wood screws, all of our lives
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (Well I laid down with the southern rage)
My chain hits the wood and the wood it turns to dust. (Swallows drop in and dice the sky)
I picture you as if you were a pine (Tracing lines of cursive on the horizon)
My hearts stopped pumping but my blood is still alive
We're wood screws, all of our lives (Cuttin' cat faces in the pines)
Yeah, We're wood screws, all of our lives (Mark the path back to the point of departure)
Well my heart stopped pumping but my blood is still alive (2 by 2 and 4 by 4 the pines, they lay down)
And I lay down with the southern range
I lay down with the southern range
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (Swallows drop in and dice the sky)
My eyes wake up but my brain is sleeping fine. (Tracing lines of cursive on the horizon)
One more thing for you and I to do before (Cuttin' cat faces in the pine)
We shut our eyes, and that's blame (Cuttin' cat faces in the pine)
Me and I'll blame you, and we're both right.
Cuttin cat faces in the pines
They say his teeth are wood and they want my pictures of him. (Mark the path back to the point of departure)
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (2 by 2 and 4 by 4, the pines, they lay down)
We're wood screws, all of our lives
Yeah, we're wood screws, all of our lives
The rain hits the ground and the trees they dry it up. (Well I laid down with the southern rage)
My chain hits the wood and the wood it turns to dust. (Swallows drop in and dice the sky)
I picture you as if you were a pine (Tracing lines of cursive on the horizon)
My hearts stopped pumping but my blood is still alive
We're wood screws, all of our lives (Cuttin' cat faces in the pines)
Yeah, We're wood screws, all of our lives (Mark the path back to the point of departure)
Well my heart stopped pumping but my blood is still alive (2 by 2 and 4 by 4 the pines, they lay down)
And I lay down with the southern range
I lay down with the southern range
Lyrics submitted by mahargrepooc13
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Gentle Hour
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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,
Magical
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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 think the song is a bit deeper than what some have you have suggested. i get a sense of emptiness, longing, death, nostalgia for the vastness of everything. he is alive, but is not passionate about anything; nothing to get his heart pumping- he uses nature as a metaphor, implying essentially the cyclic nature to existence, the trees are lain by our hands, turning to dust--suggesting the finality of life--and he lays as well, perhaps reminiscing a life lived, and recognizing the beauty and/or futility of it--visions of the point of departure, where life begins, or life ends. this song deserves much more attention. i wish isaac would comment.
@roland Holy shit, you nailed it. Thank you for putting pen to page (so to speak) so I could read this.