"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.
Yeh man, mi know she mek yu sick man
Yu see how she a mek yu a vomit, laugh
Yu see it a das why mi tell yu nuh Brethren
Yu see me Beenie Man mi a go tell yu something
Hear mi
[Chorus: x2]
Mi nuh wha nuh Man Royal gal, gal
Gimmi di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like she a go funeral-al
Mi nuh wha no Man Royal, gal, gal
Gimme di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a walk an al a push
Call har patel that's exactly how she look
Gal can't even cook, she all a read out a book
Every night she an a gal gwan in a bush
Eeh, cause she a husband crook, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a stand up an pose
A wiggle an a wine up ina people ole clothes
Yuh draw fi a lighter, an she draw fi a hose
Cause she no wha bun di clothes
So sing along
[Chorus: x2]
A how she walk, a how she talk, a how she flex
A just di way mi hear she stay
Bout she wha look di D.J.
A itch up an a wine up wid har friend dem
An di ole a dem a guy
And mi hear she stay di same way
Reason why mi hate di Man Royal gal dem
All ways end up wid nuff ole bwoy friend
All six, seven, eight, nine, fifteen a dem
Eeh, wid all a one gal friend, so sing again
[Chorus: x2]
Wol on, wol on, wol on
Anytime mi see dem pon di street affi laugh
Some gal weh a walk wid all dem head bawl off
Strong like a samson, like a weight dem pop off
Mi haffi drw fi mi mask, wol on deh
Mi know a Man Royal gal name Jone
Feminine creature full a man harmones
Last week mi hear Patsy in har love zone, muh
Mi tell har leave mi alone, an fling a stone
[Chorus: x2]
Mix up, mix up, mix up, time again man
Gal come in a dance an all a walk an al a push
Call har patel that's exactly how she look
Gal can't even cook, she all a read out a book
Every night she an a gal gwan in a bush
Eeh, cause she a husband crook, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a stand up an pose
A wiggle an a wine up ina people ole clothes
Yuh draw fi a lighter, an she draw fi a hose
Cause she no wha bun di clothes
So sing along
Mi nuh wha nuh Man Royal gal, gal
Gimmi di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like she a go funeral-al
Mi nuh wha no Man Royal, gal, gal
Gimme di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like, wol on
A how she walk, a how she talk, a how she flex
A just di way mi hear she stay
Bout she wha look di D.J.
A itch up an a wine up wid har friend dem
An di ole a dem a guy
And mi hear she stay di same way
Reason why mi hate di Man Royal gal dem
All ways end up wid nuff ole bwoy friend
All six, seven, eight, nine, fifteen a dem
Eeh, wid all a one gal friend, so sing again
Yu see how she a mek yu a vomit, laugh
Yu see it a das why mi tell yu nuh Brethren
Yu see me Beenie Man mi a go tell yu something
Hear mi
[Chorus: x2]
Mi nuh wha nuh Man Royal gal, gal
Gimmi di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like she a go funeral-al
Mi nuh wha no Man Royal, gal, gal
Gimme di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a walk an al a push
Call har patel that's exactly how she look
Gal can't even cook, she all a read out a book
Every night she an a gal gwan in a bush
Eeh, cause she a husband crook, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a stand up an pose
A wiggle an a wine up ina people ole clothes
Yuh draw fi a lighter, an she draw fi a hose
Cause she no wha bun di clothes
So sing along
[Chorus: x2]
A how she walk, a how she talk, a how she flex
A just di way mi hear she stay
Bout she wha look di D.J.
A itch up an a wine up wid har friend dem
An di ole a dem a guy
And mi hear she stay di same way
Reason why mi hate di Man Royal gal dem
All ways end up wid nuff ole bwoy friend
All six, seven, eight, nine, fifteen a dem
Eeh, wid all a one gal friend, so sing again
[Chorus: x2]
Wol on, wol on, wol on
Anytime mi see dem pon di street affi laugh
Some gal weh a walk wid all dem head bawl off
Strong like a samson, like a weight dem pop off
Mi haffi drw fi mi mask, wol on deh
Mi know a Man Royal gal name Jone
Feminine creature full a man harmones
Last week mi hear Patsy in har love zone, muh
Mi tell har leave mi alone, an fling a stone
[Chorus: x2]
Mix up, mix up, mix up, time again man
Gal come in a dance an all a walk an al a push
Call har patel that's exactly how she look
Gal can't even cook, she all a read out a book
Every night she an a gal gwan in a bush
Eeh, cause she a husband crook, wol on
Gal come in a dance an all a stand up an pose
A wiggle an a wine up ina people ole clothes
Yuh draw fi a lighter, an she draw fi a hose
Cause she no wha bun di clothes
So sing along
Mi nuh wha nuh Man Royal gal, gal
Gimmi di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like she a go funeral-al
Mi nuh wha no Man Royal, gal, gal
Gimme di gal dem wid di real born serial
Gal come a dance dress up in a man material
All in a dress like, wol on
A how she walk, a how she talk, a how she flex
A just di way mi hear she stay
Bout she wha look di D.J.
A itch up an a wine up wid har friend dem
An di ole a dem a guy
And mi hear she stay di same way
Reason why mi hate di Man Royal gal dem
All ways end up wid nuff ole bwoy friend
All six, seven, eight, nine, fifteen a dem
Eeh, wid all a one gal friend, so sing again
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.