"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.
The first world's got greedy, we're consuming it all
The third world's got hunger and military control
This unequal balance is a master plan
One gets rich from the other's land
They've got it all worked out - and we give our consent
They've got it all worked out for Central America
They've got it all worked out for Africa
And in our naivety we believe myths and overconsume
And give them our consent
Dying in the shadow of the USA
"Let them eat bullshit, make the land pay"
Make a fast deal with the local elite
Then substitute cash-crops where once grew wheat
Build a cycle of dependence on a starvation-diet
With food as a weapon, workers stay quiet
And multinational names have blood on their brands
From taking an interest in misused lands
Del Monte, Tate & Lyle, Ralston Purina
Coca-Cola, RTZ, and Unilever
All packaging lifestyles for the glamorous west
Expand the company, exploit the rest
We are not isolated by distance
But by greed and our racist history
Just a wall's width away
Still impossible to see across
This space in front on me
It's we who write this history
We who guard the money-tree
We support the companies
We stole the colonies
And when the system starts to crack
We'll have to ready to give it all back
See the space which lies between the rich and the poor
How the space increases as we keep on taking more
Keeping that space between us all
Is how the west can keep control...
With a mission and a chequebook promising aid
Posing for the camera the United Nations man came
He talked of control and the terrible drought
And the way that the west would bail them out
They he stopped smiling and talked conditions
Of mutual aid; of American wishes
Sending in aid with sewn-on strings
If they won't buy arms - then it's pulled back in
Feeding the world American style
Col Sanders has an empire behind his smile
Back up the investments with a military regime
Then cleverly say: "It's to keep the world free!"
But the multinational myths are beginning to fall
The poor don't want aid, they want control
And if we really want to see the Third World eat
We've got to see through the wraping on the high street
Past barriers of culture that dictate our lives
We're busy consuming as the other half dies
And the answer's not a question on charity -
Not whilst profit's still the top priority -
So let the glossy shop-fronts know what to expect
And you Bosses of Companies...
And the cycle of hungry children
Will keep on going round
Until we burn the multinationals to the ground
The third world's got hunger and military control
This unequal balance is a master plan
One gets rich from the other's land
They've got it all worked out - and we give our consent
They've got it all worked out for Central America
They've got it all worked out for Africa
And in our naivety we believe myths and overconsume
And give them our consent
Dying in the shadow of the USA
"Let them eat bullshit, make the land pay"
Make a fast deal with the local elite
Then substitute cash-crops where once grew wheat
Build a cycle of dependence on a starvation-diet
With food as a weapon, workers stay quiet
And multinational names have blood on their brands
From taking an interest in misused lands
Del Monte, Tate & Lyle, Ralston Purina
Coca-Cola, RTZ, and Unilever
All packaging lifestyles for the glamorous west
Expand the company, exploit the rest
We are not isolated by distance
But by greed and our racist history
Just a wall's width away
Still impossible to see across
This space in front on me
It's we who write this history
We who guard the money-tree
We support the companies
We stole the colonies
And when the system starts to crack
We'll have to ready to give it all back
See the space which lies between the rich and the poor
How the space increases as we keep on taking more
Keeping that space between us all
Is how the west can keep control...
With a mission and a chequebook promising aid
Posing for the camera the United Nations man came
He talked of control and the terrible drought
And the way that the west would bail them out
They he stopped smiling and talked conditions
Of mutual aid; of American wishes
Sending in aid with sewn-on strings
If they won't buy arms - then it's pulled back in
Feeding the world American style
Col Sanders has an empire behind his smile
Back up the investments with a military regime
Then cleverly say: "It's to keep the world free!"
But the multinational myths are beginning to fall
The poor don't want aid, they want control
And if we really want to see the Third World eat
We've got to see through the wraping on the high street
Past barriers of culture that dictate our lives
We're busy consuming as the other half dies
And the answer's not a question on charity -
Not whilst profit's still the top priority -
So let the glossy shop-fronts know what to expect
And you Bosses of Companies...
And the cycle of hungry children
Will keep on going round
Until we burn the multinationals to the ground
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.