"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.
Always were out of time, the action makes you smile...
When your hands are by your sides.
Feed the tree that you love, a light
comes from above, then it fades before your eyes.
Do you see it? Do you feel it? Well I mean it...
Your right outside of me didn't seem to care.
Well you had your hold on me - you know it's not fair.
Make it last for the time, keep it with your eyes
Yeah it's you they're thinking of.
Making it last for the while - turns into a style...
When you feed the tree you love.
Do you feel it? Do you see it? Well I mean it..
[Chorus]
You wake up, you take up, you pace round, you're spaced out,
You're taken up with what you see.
One more time - what you see, say it's not fair.
[Chorus]
It's not fair.
Lyrics submitted by J0K3R
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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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Page
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i love this song, its so powerful and strong. i can't beleive it only has 3 - 4 now - comments!