"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 don't read, yeah, I just guess
As the world turns
Don't bother me with your messs
I'm trying to do my best
Get my head up out the stress
When the money turns the world
Your lovin' turns to less
I learn by mistakes
Most of it is yours and
I'm done living life as a criminal
I thought I'd die young just to please the old
Now I teach the young, I'm victorial
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
The war in me makes a warrior
Like a pitbull gettin' with a terrior
I'm better off in North Korea
Yeah, droppin' from a barrel of a carrier
Coz I got enough to be more
It's hard enough to get more
I shut the door on everything
Just to let my head blow
Coz I got enough to be more
It's hard enough to get more
I shut the door on everything
Just to let my head blow
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
Picture this, a dull grey street in the train
Neon signs gonna shine though
Shorty you gonna shine though
Come up on ya treasure trove
Like the sun explode
Check up in the paper
In the mirror for ya horoscope
Walking on a tightrope
Go for something, I don't even know
Where to get it from
Sending out a signal
Smoke from a gun blow
As I knock off knock off
Things that I don't want.
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
As the world turns
Don't bother me with your messs
I'm trying to do my best
Get my head up out the stress
When the money turns the world
Your lovin' turns to less
I learn by mistakes
Most of it is yours and
I'm done living life as a criminal
I thought I'd die young just to please the old
Now I teach the young, I'm victorial
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
The war in me makes a warrior
Like a pitbull gettin' with a terrior
I'm better off in North Korea
Yeah, droppin' from a barrel of a carrier
Coz I got enough to be more
It's hard enough to get more
I shut the door on everything
Just to let my head blow
Coz I got enough to be more
It's hard enough to get more
I shut the door on everything
Just to let my head blow
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
I'd rather go on,
Go up and down
Turn myself all around
Then to stay down
Picture this, a dull grey street in the train
Neon signs gonna shine though
Shorty you gonna shine though
Come up on ya treasure trove
Like the sun explode
Check up in the paper
In the mirror for ya horoscope
Walking on a tightrope
Go for something, I don't even know
Where to get it from
Sending out a signal
Smoke from a gun blow
As I knock off knock off
Things that I don't want.
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Nanananananananana
Nanananananana
Lyrics submitted by lalunacreciente
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
I think this song is inspirational. The idea of making something of yourself (no matter what your circumstances are) is pretty motivating. She's living proof of that.