"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'm finding out that wasn't your real name
I called it out but you never came
You’re leaving me in this fantasy
That we made our lives out to be
Could it be that I never saw
All the writing written on the wall
Oh, taking half of the fantasy
That we made our lives out to be
Could it be I can't believe you're gone
Stranger things have happened
And everyone moves on
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out
I'm finding out I cannot be alone
I'm stumbling over things you use to own
It's getting hard to give them back
When I'm getting used to living in the past
Could it be my phone rings off the hook
And I'll pretend it's you I just won't look
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out
Could it be I can't believe you're gone
Stranger things have happened
And everyone moves on
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find this out
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out, find out
I called it out but you never came
You’re leaving me in this fantasy
That we made our lives out to be
Could it be that I never saw
All the writing written on the wall
Oh, taking half of the fantasy
That we made our lives out to be
Could it be I can't believe you're gone
Stranger things have happened
And everyone moves on
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out
I'm finding out I cannot be alone
I'm stumbling over things you use to own
It's getting hard to give them back
When I'm getting used to living in the past
Could it be my phone rings off the hook
And I'll pretend it's you I just won't look
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out
Could it be I can't believe you're gone
Stranger things have happened
And everyone moves on
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find this out
But I, I can't let this get out
If we avoid confrontations
We'll live on in conversations
But please keep this to yourself
Let's keep as much of how it was
How it is then they won't find out
Find out, find out, find out
Lyrics submitted by realpopprincess
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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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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/
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.