"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.
Reach for the stars kid, I've been wondering,
Heaven's not too far kid, we've been tumbling,
Down down baby, you're so audio
But I'm a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman,
We keep in time kid, you're so into it
But if you were mine kid, we'd be intermate
These razors ain't your roses
But I'm a gentleman, (I'm such a gentleman)
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend we could be together oh
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters home oh
We'll never let go oh
We'll never let go oh
We'll never let
Were torn apart kid, tearing to the beat
Lovers to the bone kid, you said no no no
These razors ain't your roses, but I'm a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters
Sway sway baby, you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, I'm such a gentleman
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight,
You'll write back to my letters home
Cause I insist this secret liquid shared between us
Just to skip this secret through our throat
Oh oh secrets down our throat oh oh
Yeah I insist this secret liquid shared between us
Just to skip this secrets down our throat
Oh oh secrets down
And I'll never let you go (I'm such a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman)
And I'll never let you go (I'm such a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman)
Sway baby, sway baby oh
We'll love like hell
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters
Sway sway baby , you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight,
You'll write back to my letters home
Heaven's not too far kid, we've been tumbling,
Down down baby, you're so audio
But I'm a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman,
We keep in time kid, you're so into it
But if you were mine kid, we'd be intermate
These razors ain't your roses
But I'm a gentleman, (I'm such a gentleman)
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend we could be together oh
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters home oh
We'll never let go oh
We'll never let go oh
We'll never let
Were torn apart kid, tearing to the beat
Lovers to the bone kid, you said no no no
These razors ain't your roses, but I'm a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters
Sway sway baby, you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, I'm such a gentleman
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight,
You'll write back to my letters home
Cause I insist this secret liquid shared between us
Just to skip this secret through our throat
Oh oh secrets down our throat oh oh
Yeah I insist this secret liquid shared between us
Just to skip this secrets down our throat
Oh oh secrets down
And I'll never let you go (I'm such a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman)
And I'll never let you go (I'm such a gentleman, I'm such a gentleman)
Sway baby, sway baby oh
We'll love like hell
Sway sway baby you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight
You'll write back to my letters
Sway sway baby , you're so audio
Kill your boyfriend, we could be together
Sway sway baby tonight, maybe tonight,
You'll write back to my letters home
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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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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,
he's a gentle man he won't screw you over... He's saying he can give you so much more than him..