"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.
You know I'm proud to be black y'all
And that's a fact y'all
And if you try to take what's mine
I take it back y'all - it's like that
Licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-
Listen party people here's a serious song
It's right not wrong, I should say right on
I gotta tell you somethin' that you all should know
It's not a mystery it's history and here's how it go
Now Hariett Tubman, was born a slave
She was a tiny black woman, when she was raised
She was livin' to be givin' there's a lot that she gave
There's not a slave, in this day and age
I'm proud to be
Black, god damn, I'm tired my man
Don't worry bout what color I am
Because I'll show you how ill, this man can act
It could never be fiction cause it is all fact
And if you get in my way, I will not turn back
I'm proud of my name, my name is Darryl Mack
I'm black and I'm proud, and I'll say it out loud
I'll share my story with the whole crowd, augghh!
You know I'm proud to be black y'all
And that's a fact y'all
And if you try to take what's mine
I take it back y'all, it's like that
DJ Run, and I run these things
You can hear it loud and clear like when the school bell rings
Like Martin Luther King, I will do my thing
I'll say it in a rap cause I do not sing
D.M.C., the man, that's causin' the beef
I got a message for the world so listen up it's brief
Like Malcolm X said I won't turn the right cheek
Got the strength to go the length, if you want to start beef
Start beef!
You know I'm proud to be black y'all
And real brave y'all
And motherfucker I could never be a slave y'all
So take that!!"
We're gonna tell ya somethin' put your mind in a swirl
God bless the next baby that comes in this world
The world's full of hate discrimination and sin
People judgin' other people by the color of skin
I'll attack this matter, in my own way
Man, I ain't no slave, I ain't reelin' no hay
Written a deposition, in any condition
Don't get in my way cause I'm full of ambition
I'm proud to be black (and I ain't takin' no crap)
I'm fresh out the pack (and I'm proud to be black)
So take that!!
There was a man, an inventor, who invented so well
He invented a fortune, for a man named Bell
George Washington Carver, made the peanut great
Showed any man with a mind, could create
You read about Malcolm X, in the history text
Jesse Owens broke records, Ali broke necks
What's wrong with ya man? How can you be so dumb?
Like Dr. King said, 'We shall overcome!'
And that's a fact y'all
And if you try to take what's mine
I take it back y'all - it's like that
Licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-licki-
Listen party people here's a serious song
It's right not wrong, I should say right on
I gotta tell you somethin' that you all should know
It's not a mystery it's history and here's how it go
Now Hariett Tubman, was born a slave
She was a tiny black woman, when she was raised
She was livin' to be givin' there's a lot that she gave
There's not a slave, in this day and age
I'm proud to be
Black, god damn, I'm tired my man
Don't worry bout what color I am
Because I'll show you how ill, this man can act
It could never be fiction cause it is all fact
And if you get in my way, I will not turn back
I'm proud of my name, my name is Darryl Mack
I'm black and I'm proud, and I'll say it out loud
I'll share my story with the whole crowd, augghh!
You know I'm proud to be black y'all
And that's a fact y'all
And if you try to take what's mine
I take it back y'all, it's like that
DJ Run, and I run these things
You can hear it loud and clear like when the school bell rings
Like Martin Luther King, I will do my thing
I'll say it in a rap cause I do not sing
D.M.C., the man, that's causin' the beef
I got a message for the world so listen up it's brief
Like Malcolm X said I won't turn the right cheek
Got the strength to go the length, if you want to start beef
Start beef!
You know I'm proud to be black y'all
And real brave y'all
And motherfucker I could never be a slave y'all
So take that!!"
We're gonna tell ya somethin' put your mind in a swirl
God bless the next baby that comes in this world
The world's full of hate discrimination and sin
People judgin' other people by the color of skin
I'll attack this matter, in my own way
Man, I ain't no slave, I ain't reelin' no hay
Written a deposition, in any condition
Don't get in my way cause I'm full of ambition
I'm proud to be black (and I ain't takin' no crap)
I'm fresh out the pack (and I'm proud to be black)
So take that!!
There was a man, an inventor, who invented so well
He invented a fortune, for a man named Bell
George Washington Carver, made the peanut great
Showed any man with a mind, could create
You read about Malcolm X, in the history text
Jesse Owens broke records, Ali broke necks
What's wrong with ya man? How can you be so dumb?
Like Dr. King said, 'We shall overcome!'
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Proud to Be Black Lyrics as written by Darryl Matthews Mcdaniels Andre A. Brown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.