"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.
The lazy way they turned your head
Into a rest stop for the dead
And did it all in gold and blue and grey
The efforts to allay your dread,
In spite of all you knew and said,
Were hard to see and harder still to say
A comfort plush all laced in lead
Was sent to quell your sentiment
And keep your trembling sentinel hand at bay
And when a sudden silhouette
Escaped the top-side of your bed
I knew you'd never ever be the same
Is it not me?
Am I not folded by your touch?
The words you spoke
I know too much
It's over now
And not enough
Is it not me?
The damage you hold inside your blush?
The load you towed
You showed it up
It's over now
And I'm insane
Wild spirits winds from out your chest
Collides with world and wilderness
It needs a gentle hand to call it home
Now surfs the sun and scales the moon
And winds the waistband of her womb
All eyes ablaze the day you break your mold
Is it not me?
Am I not culled into your clutch?
The words you spoke
I know too much
We're closer now
And said enough
Is it not me?
Am I not rolled into your crush?
The road you choose
Unloads control
See it take me so
Go on throw this stone
Into this halfway home
Into a rest stop for the dead
And did it all in gold and blue and grey
The efforts to allay your dread,
In spite of all you knew and said,
Were hard to see and harder still to say
A comfort plush all laced in lead
Was sent to quell your sentiment
And keep your trembling sentinel hand at bay
And when a sudden silhouette
Escaped the top-side of your bed
I knew you'd never ever be the same
Is it not me?
Am I not folded by your touch?
The words you spoke
I know too much
It's over now
And not enough
Is it not me?
The damage you hold inside your blush?
The load you towed
You showed it up
It's over now
And I'm insane
Wild spirits winds from out your chest
Collides with world and wilderness
It needs a gentle hand to call it home
Now surfs the sun and scales the moon
And winds the waistband of her womb
All eyes ablaze the day you break your mold
Is it not me?
Am I not culled into your clutch?
The words you spoke
I know too much
We're closer now
And said enough
Is it not me?
Am I not rolled into your crush?
The road you choose
Unloads control
See it take me so
Go on throw this stone
Into this halfway home
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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/
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I like to break the phrasing to make it easier to read as a complete thought:
"The lazy way they turned your head Into a rest stop for the dead And did it all in gold and blue and grey" To me, this means whoever is being sung to has lost someone important and is seeing someone to help them grieve. And part of the grieving process is to remember parts of that person you've lost. So in your memories is "resting stop for the dead", in your mind is the only place the dead live on. But this process concentrated on the best, and the worst, and the true essence of the person was lost.
"The efforts to allay your dread, In spite of all you knew and said, Were hard to see and harder still to say" He/She couldn't see that lots of people were trying to help her, she was too focused on the pain.