"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'm so lonely on my way
Waiting for a better day
Only one thing left behind -
A world of lust and crime
There's no place for me to hide
I don't know what's wrong or right
Pain and sorrow in my mind
A world of lust and crime
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the answer just for everything
Love turns a friendly card
With a different story
And a love in your heart
forever
Love is an endless game
You don't have to worry
'cause it's easy to play
There's a chance for me and you
Making all our dreams come true
Trust in love and you won't find
A world of lust and crime
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the answer just for everything
Love turns a friendly card
With a different story
And a love in your heart
forever
Love is an endless game
You don't have to worry
'cause it's easy to play
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the light of hope and glory
Waiting for a better day
Only one thing left behind -
A world of lust and crime
There's no place for me to hide
I don't know what's wrong or right
Pain and sorrow in my mind
A world of lust and crime
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the answer just for everything
Love turns a friendly card
With a different story
And a love in your heart
forever
Love is an endless game
You don't have to worry
'cause it's easy to play
There's a chance for me and you
Making all our dreams come true
Trust in love and you won't find
A world of lust and crime
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the answer just for everything
Love turns a friendly card
With a different story
And a love in your heart
forever
Love is an endless game
You don't have to worry
'cause it's easy to play
See the wise man in the graveyard
Scream and cry the different story
Lonely people in his own heart
Know the light of hope and glory
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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
Ed Sheeran
“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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
It was Tennyson who penned the phrase "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
I believe that is the core meaning of this song.
What is a world of lust and crime? It is a world of meaningless physical interactions. One night stands, Tinder hook-ups, etc. It is a world where people objectify others. A world where people do not make deep emotional connections.
The first verse is about the feeling of being in a meaningless relationship. Stabbing Westward said it best in the song Save Yourself. "And if I must be lonely, I think I'd rather be alone". Loneliness is a hollow feeling. One night stands do not fill that void.
Also in this first verse we see that he is leaving that life style behind. "Only one thing left behind, a world of lust and crime."
The second verse is about the guilt that one may feel when going from one meaningless relationship to the next. Many people do the walk of shame after having a one night stand. You can't hide from that guilt. Not knowing if it is wrong or right is the battle many have with these kinds of encounters. It feels so good in the moment, but often people feel used afterwards. Again, the pain and sorrow are those feelings of guilt and regret.
The chorus is where this becomes about what Tennyson wrote.
The wise man in the graveyard who is screaming and crying is mourning the loss of his wife who was probably the center of his universe. Without her he is full of pain and sorrow. This echos what was stated in the second verse. The pain and sorrow in the second verse was guilt and regret. The wise man's pain and sorrow is the loss of love. That is how this is a different story. Same similar feelings but for a different reason.
The second half of the chorus reiterates the knowledge of this wise man. He loved and lost and that means a lot more than to have never loved at all.
The bridge of this song is about finding that true love. That happened to me more than a year ago. I found that one person I spent my entire life looking for (I am now 50). I lived in that world of "lust and crime" for far too long. When I found her, it happened exactly like in the bridge.
Forever love is an endless game.
You don't have to worry cause its easy to play.
Anyone that has found their forever true love knows how true that is. That kind of love is easy. Many people know it when they first see the other person. Love at first sight. This kind of love takes very little effort. It just happens and it is the most wonderful feeling ever.
The third verse is the easiest to decipher. That forever love is like a dream come true. When you find your forever love, you don't want anything to do with that world of lust and crime.
That is my interpretation of the song. Just rehashing what Tennyson had written.
The wise man in the graveyard is the one who really understands things here. He's trying to get people to stop being in a superficial, image-is-everything world and trying to get people to put substance behind the image. This is the world of lust and crime.
Wow no comments? I assume the wise man in the graveyard is dead and all the lonely people too and that's a different story indeed, being dead.