"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.
When I fell from grace
I never realized
How deep the flood was around me.
A man whose life was toil
Was like a kettle left to boil,
And the water left scars on me.
I know now who I am.
If only for a while,
I recognize the changes.
I feel like I did before the
Magic wore thin and the "baptism
Of stains" began.
They used to say I was
Nowhere, man,
Heading down
Was my destiny.
But yesterday, I swear,
That was someone else not me.
Here I stand at the crossroads edge,
Afraid to reach out for eternity,
One step, when I look down,
I see someone else not me.
Looking back and I see
Someone else.
All my life they said I
Was going down,
But I'm still standing,
Stronger, proud.
And today I know there's
So much more I can be.
From where I stand at the crossroads edge,
There's a path leading out to sea.
And from somewhere
Deep in my mind,
Sirens sing out loud
Songs of doubt
As only they know how.
But one glance back reminds, and I see,
Someone else not me.
I keep looking back
At someone else, me?
I never realized
How deep the flood was around me.
A man whose life was toil
Was like a kettle left to boil,
And the water left scars on me.
I know now who I am.
If only for a while,
I recognize the changes.
I feel like I did before the
Magic wore thin and the "baptism
Of stains" began.
They used to say I was
Nowhere, man,
Heading down
Was my destiny.
But yesterday, I swear,
That was someone else not me.
Here I stand at the crossroads edge,
Afraid to reach out for eternity,
One step, when I look down,
I see someone else not me.
Looking back and I see
Someone else.
All my life they said I
Was going down,
But I'm still standing,
Stronger, proud.
And today I know there's
So much more I can be.
From where I stand at the crossroads edge,
There's a path leading out to sea.
And from somewhere
Deep in my mind,
Sirens sing out loud
Songs of doubt
As only they know how.
But one glance back reminds, and I see,
Someone else not me.
I keep looking back
At someone else, me?
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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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/
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
To me this really is one of the most powerful and honest pieces of music I've ever heard and one that will probably mean a lot of different things to different people. I appreciate PigeonWing's comment as to the origin from Geoff Tate's experiences and this makes sense.
I think the references to crossroads make it in many ways about making decisions and living with those decisions, choosing your actions and becoming who you want to be. I bought this album the day it was released at a time when I was living as someone other than myself and the track summed up decisions I had to make about who I was.
One day this will be played at my funeral, and I hope positive interpretations of it will be made.