"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.
It's so easy to laugh at yourself
When all those jokes have already been written
Seems like another vain attempt
To let yourself fall out of the oven
Holy mountains, they look so tired
And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside
Who're you fooling if the fools are right?
It's the same thing but it's almost as different
Hard to tell when it pacifies your mind
And leaves you stranded with a broken engine
Lazy desert looks so mangled
Let me drown in a convalescent bliss
Get up from your bed of rest
It's been a long time since you've lived
But the static in your mind leaves you hollow and unkind
With a shock electric wave turns you on
You've been flunked out of the devil's house
Delinquent hygienes are so abrasive
And some distortion that's never been known
On the treadmill, you'll be running forever
Holy mountains, they look so tired
And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside
We go, we go
When all those jokes have already been written
Seems like another vain attempt
To let yourself fall out of the oven
Holy mountains, they look so tired
And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside
Who're you fooling if the fools are right?
It's the same thing but it's almost as different
Hard to tell when it pacifies your mind
And leaves you stranded with a broken engine
Lazy desert looks so mangled
Let me drown in a convalescent bliss
Get up from your bed of rest
It's been a long time since you've lived
But the static in your mind leaves you hollow and unkind
With a shock electric wave turns you on
You've been flunked out of the devil's house
Delinquent hygienes are so abrasive
And some distortion that's never been known
On the treadmill, you'll be running forever
Holy mountains, they look so tired
And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside
We go, we go
Lyrics submitted by hey brown bear
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
I think this song's about isolating yourself from humankind. Nature's the one who can understand you and accept you no matter who you are. Nature's a place where you can find rest and happiness and live.
I'd say it's about not letting just the same-old, same-old fill your mind. Break out of it, even if it seems that it would be worse to do it. You've not been alive for so long, and it doesn't seem possible, it doesn't seem good... But it's the best thing you could do for yourself. Don't fake it... This static is leaving you stranded in nowhere, but you're distracted by this nothingness and don't realize what you're missing.
All i've got to say is that this songs is fuckin' awesome, great melody,
best lines:
"But the static in your mind leaves you hollow and unkind"
Kudos to Beck!