"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.
Yo, I don't appreciate you telling me
The way that I should live
No, I think the choices you've laid out for me
The end is negative
So, take all your imagery and ideology
Yes I'll be fine
When you go I'd rather not display my physical
I'd rather use my mind, oh
You act like all I am to be is, just a sexy, sexy thing
Just a showpiece for all to see like a Bently or your diamond ring
I know that I am more than that, don't believe the hype
The One who made the stars and sun gave meaning to my life
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
Hey, it seems a shame to me I've been reduced
To an object of lust and hate
No way, please understand that I refuse to be
Simply a height and weight
This day, somewhere we've lost the value
Of what a woman is supposed to be
A queen, respected and defined by her creator
Size 24, size 10 or size 3
You act like all I am to be is, just a sexy, sexy thing
Just a showpiece for all to see like a Bently or your diamond ring
I know that I am more than that, don't believe the hype
The One who made the stars and sun gave meaning to my life
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
It's my choice and I will decide, I won't let you destroy my pride
I'm no showpiece for you to hide and lose all that I am inside
God made me and I'm beautiful, I won't dress like that kind of girl
Are-E-S-P-E-see-T, see, that's the way that you got to look at me
It's my choice and I will decide, I won't let you destroy my pride
I'm no showpiece for you to hide and lose all that I am inside
God made me and I'm beautiful, I won't dress like that kind of girl
Are-E-S-P-E-see-T, see, that's the way that you got to look at me
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
The way that I should live
No, I think the choices you've laid out for me
The end is negative
So, take all your imagery and ideology
Yes I'll be fine
When you go I'd rather not display my physical
I'd rather use my mind, oh
You act like all I am to be is, just a sexy, sexy thing
Just a showpiece for all to see like a Bently or your diamond ring
I know that I am more than that, don't believe the hype
The One who made the stars and sun gave meaning to my life
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
Hey, it seems a shame to me I've been reduced
To an object of lust and hate
No way, please understand that I refuse to be
Simply a height and weight
This day, somewhere we've lost the value
Of what a woman is supposed to be
A queen, respected and defined by her creator
Size 24, size 10 or size 3
You act like all I am to be is, just a sexy, sexy thing
Just a showpiece for all to see like a Bently or your diamond ring
I know that I am more than that, don't believe the hype
The One who made the stars and sun gave meaning to my life
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
It's my choice and I will decide, I won't let you destroy my pride
I'm no showpiece for you to hide and lose all that I am inside
God made me and I'm beautiful, I won't dress like that kind of girl
Are-E-S-P-E-see-T, see, that's the way that you got to look at me
It's my choice and I will decide, I won't let you destroy my pride
I'm no showpiece for you to hide and lose all that I am inside
God made me and I'm beautiful, I won't dress like that kind of girl
Are-E-S-P-E-see-T, see, that's the way that you got to look at me
Oh, I don't need you to define my be-E-A-you-T-why
I'd rather draw the line
Oh, I don't need you on my team, what you're selling's a pipe dream
And I don't need it, baby
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Led Zeppelin
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.