"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.
At first we started out real cool
Taking me places I ain't never been
But now, you're getting comfortable
Ain't doing those things you did no more
You're slowly making me pay for
Things your money should be handling
And now you ask to use my car (car)
Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank
And you have the audacity to even come and step to me
Ask to hold some money from me until
You get your check next week
You trifling
Good for nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Now you've been maxing out my cards (cards)
Giving me bad credit buying me gifts with my
Own ends
Haven't paid the first bill
But you're steady heading to the mall
Going on shopping sprees perpetrating to your friends that you be balling
And then you use my cell phone (phone)
Calling whoever that you think at home
And then when the bill comes all of a sudden you be acting dumb
Don't know where none of these calls come from
When your mama's number's here more than once
You trifling
Good for nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Bills)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (good for nothing)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Found another)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (hey)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Ooh)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (oh no no)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Oh no, no, no, no)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (good for nothing)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another?
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills? (Pay my bills)
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Pay my bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Telephone bills)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do (I don't think you do)
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Bill)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Taking me places I ain't never been
But now, you're getting comfortable
Ain't doing those things you did no more
You're slowly making me pay for
Things your money should be handling
And now you ask to use my car (car)
Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank
And you have the audacity to even come and step to me
Ask to hold some money from me until
You get your check next week
You trifling
Good for nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Now you've been maxing out my cards (cards)
Giving me bad credit buying me gifts with my
Own ends
Haven't paid the first bill
But you're steady heading to the mall
Going on shopping sprees perpetrating to your friends that you be balling
And then you use my cell phone (phone)
Calling whoever that you think at home
And then when the bill comes all of a sudden you be acting dumb
Don't know where none of these calls come from
When your mama's number's here more than once
You trifling
Good for nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Bills)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (good for nothing)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Found another)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (hey)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Ooh)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (oh no no)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another? (Oh no, no, no, no)
You trifling, good for nothing type of brother (good for nothing)
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another?
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills? (Pay my bills)
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Pay my bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Telephone bills)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do (I don't think you do)
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills? (Bills)
Can you pay my automo-bills? (Bill)
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Can you pay my automo-bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
This song is about how at first, when she started dating the guy, eh really wanted to impress her, so he was buying her stuff, and taking care of her. Then, he stopped trying to impress her, and started getting too comfortable with her, and stopped taking care of her. So, she's asking why he stopped, and whether he's really as great as he appeared to be in the beginning.. which he definitely isn't.
I really like this song... mostly Destiny's Child in Beyoncé in general.