"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.
I feel like hell, you feel like dancing,
You know this bar curtains a world.
Those empty bottles, like sentinels,
Stand guard in the morning sun.
Then the lights go down
And all the people gather round
And you feel you are a skeleton jar
Oh yeah.
Be like the brother I never had,
Be like a real son to my dad.
How can you stand there and watch this
Scene, I hate you for liking me.
Why am I so miserable if these are the best
Years of my life goes like a train I just
Missed out on being part of the community
'don't go just stay with me' were all that
They heard from me.
Love me don't leave me just stay with me
Don't leave me I've never known another
Who could just please me the way that you
Please me don't go just stay with don't go
Just stay with were all that they heard
From me.
You know this bar curtains a world.
Those empty bottles, like sentinels,
Stand guard in the morning sun.
Then the lights go down
And all the people gather round
And you feel you are a skeleton jar
Oh yeah.
Be like the brother I never had,
Be like a real son to my dad.
How can you stand there and watch this
Scene, I hate you for liking me.
Why am I so miserable if these are the best
Years of my life goes like a train I just
Missed out on being part of the community
'don't go just stay with me' were all that
They heard from me.
Love me don't leave me just stay with me
Don't leave me I've never known another
Who could just please me the way that you
Please me don't go just stay with don't go
Just stay with were all that they heard
From me.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
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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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Wow, I was just about to post these lyrics.
And they would have been very wrong...
Great song though.