"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.
Many have come and gone
Still left out of the guttural swansong
Takin' nothin' but the best in the area
Givin' me grief but fucker I'll stare you
Down 2 3 you're out of there
Maybe it's me but I'm frantic in a panic
Ain't never had a problem since you stopped comin' here
Big man walkin' but bitch I'm still talkin'
Can't you see it's gotta be this way?
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
Ain't gonna leave and you know I'm never gone fade,
Here it comes again, gotta burn again
Time now, throw down, don't dirty me,
Right on your ugly-ass face cause
I ain't the one who let you in,
And I ain't the one who set you off
But I know damn well when someone's pushing my buttons,
Let tell you somethin', I'll push you back!
"Soon as that camera goes off, he's gonna fuck that little dog."
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
You're made of flesh,
(What I'm focused on
Still left out of the guttural swansong
Takin' nothin' but the best in the area
Givin' me grief but fucker I'll stare you
Down 2 3 you're out of there
Maybe it's me but I'm frantic in a panic
Ain't never had a problem since you stopped comin' here
Big man walkin' but bitch I'm still talkin'
Can't you see it's gotta be this way?
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
Ain't gonna leave and you know I'm never gone fade,
Here it comes again, gotta burn again
Time now, throw down, don't dirty me,
Right on your ugly-ass face cause
I ain't the one who let you in,
And I ain't the one who set you off
But I know damn well when someone's pushing my buttons,
Let tell you somethin', I'll push you back!
"Soon as that camera goes off, he's gonna fuck that little dog."
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (boy)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason why I'd need you (bitch)
Gimme any reason not to fuck you up
You're made of flesh,
(What I'm focused on
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I listened to Interloper for the first time in like two years the other day, and had the biggest nostalgia attack ever - reminds me why I got into Slipknot in the first place! \m/