"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.
Our one source of energy
The ultimate discovery
Electric blue for me
Never more to be free
Electricity
Nuclear and HEP
Carbon fuels from the sea
Wasted electricity
Our one source of energy
Electricity
All we need to live today
A gift for man to throw away
The chance to change has nearly gone
The alternative is only one
The final source of energy
Solar electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
The ultimate discovery
Electric blue for me
Never more to be free
Electricity
Nuclear and HEP
Carbon fuels from the sea
Wasted electricity
Our one source of energy
Electricity
All we need to live today
A gift for man to throw away
The chance to change has nearly gone
The alternative is only one
The final source of energy
Solar electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
A statement on energy crises, no less.
Fantastic song, I have loved it for 20 years, but interestingly, for Australia, it could be totally true, what with climate change and peak oil.
The Chance to Change has nearly gone!
the lyrics don't fit with the song, but it all still fits :)
@isayiceage but why does he say Never more to be free ?
cocaine or crank? lol
If this was a They Might Be Giants song, we would take the lyrics at face value and conclude it's simply a song about ... Electricity! No deeper hidden meaning, no ulterior motive. Just a bit of fun talking about the movement of electrons. Why should OMD be held to a different standard? Unless there's a verified statement from OMD to the opposite, I say this song is nothing more than a simple song about electricity. (For what it's worth, I can totally envision a TMBG song with these exact lyrics.)
"Just a bit of fun talking about the movement of electrons." LOL...you sound like my gifted child who's definitely wired differently. OK, Sheldon, we'll take your word on the interpretation, but "fun"????
"Electricity<br /> All we need to live today<br /> A gift for man to throw away"<br /> I think the song is about our tendency to take life (energy) for granted. I try not to read too far into it, but based on this line and the tone of the song, he sounds a little bitter so it sort of makes sense.
A fantastic song, I first heard this before I even knew it was them at a fairground, they played the song to these puppets dancing, in a box, & I loved the song at first hearing, then when I got home it was on the radio, that's when I found out it was omd, I've been hooked ever since!
Never more to be free ? Why say so ?