"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.
Memories are just where you laid them
Drag the waters till the depths give up their dead
What did you expect to find?
Was there something you left behind?
Don't you remember
Anything I said when I said
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands
Love lies bleeding
Oh, hold me now, I feel contagious
Am I the only place that you've left to go?
She cries her life is like
Some movie, black and white
Dead actors faking lines
Over and over and over again she cries
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands
Love lies bleeding
And I wanted, but you turned away
You don't remember, but I do
You never even tried
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
Leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
Leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again, oh
Drag the waters till the depths give up their dead
What did you expect to find?
Was there something you left behind?
Don't you remember
Anything I said when I said
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands
Love lies bleeding
Oh, hold me now, I feel contagious
Am I the only place that you've left to go?
She cries her life is like
Some movie, black and white
Dead actors faking lines
Over and over and over again she cries
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands
Love lies bleeding
And I wanted, but you turned away
You don't remember, but I do
You never even tried
Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
Leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
Leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again, oh
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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
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.
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.
This song is lyrically and musically really beautiful. To me, the song is really sad, but amazing. I think it's about trying to reach someone that is so far from you and you want them, but the pain won't ever go away.