"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.
Back in the day now
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool
We used to meet up with these dudes
Then we rode out on hopes and truths
And would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
Pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well, sayin'
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Just gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Wailin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
The laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dog don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool
We used to meet up with these dudes
Then we rode out on hopes and truths
And would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
Pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well, sayin'
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Back in the day when things were cool, hey
All we needed was bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Oho, bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Soul flower, take me flying with you, hey
Just gimme dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Gimme some of dat bop-bop, bop-bop, bop-ba-domp
Well, well, well
Wailin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
The laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dog don't bark, puff
Well, well, well
Laughin' and singin' and jammin' and talkin'
And pumpin' the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff
Well, well, well
And we would ride around the park 'til it's after dark
And when we get home hope the dogs don't bark, puff
Lyrics submitted by heartheldcaptive
Back In The Day Lyrics as written by Joy Grand James Jason Poyser
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
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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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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 don't think it is a song focused ABOUT pot.
I think she is trying to say back when she was younger, she could just go to the park and smoke, yeah, pot with some friends and they could laugh and have a good old time and all she really had to worry about is the dog barking and waking people up when she got home. Nowadays going to the park on your own is dangerous and cruising around smoking pot can lead to more dangerous things and intentions nowadays are not so innocent and fun-loving anymore. Now there are a lot more things to worry about when you want to just have a good time, and nothing is just so innocent anymore that you can just get high and have fun off the herb, and she misses "back in the day" when things were not so dangerous, and cool.