"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 just can't get the ending right.
I'm so desperate tonight.
It seems only right to let the shadows lead the way.
If I could only just decide.
To let go of my insides.
I know that I'll never have to feel this way again.
And I'm caught in between.
My waking life and dreams .
Death's just as lonely as before.
I still remember you when.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
They held us down.
But now we're breaking loose.
We swore that we'd let nothing stand in our way.
And when I'm gone.
I will come back to haunt you.
I'll still watch over you my love.
When you're on your way to me.
Don't forget the taste of me.
And don't forget the feel of me.
With my arms around you.
Those memories will never fade.
Like all the promises we made.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
From below. The sun will rise.
And give us time to clear our heads.
The end is breathing down my neck.
Though hope is all that we have left.
The pain in understanding. Why we can't take it all back.
It's time to finally let go. Of everything we've known.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
I swear I'll find you before I drift away.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
I don't know where I'll be drifting. When I finally let go
I'm so desperate tonight.
It seems only right to let the shadows lead the way.
If I could only just decide.
To let go of my insides.
I know that I'll never have to feel this way again.
And I'm caught in between.
My waking life and dreams .
Death's just as lonely as before.
I still remember you when.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
They held us down.
But now we're breaking loose.
We swore that we'd let nothing stand in our way.
And when I'm gone.
I will come back to haunt you.
I'll still watch over you my love.
When you're on your way to me.
Don't forget the taste of me.
And don't forget the feel of me.
With my arms around you.
Those memories will never fade.
Like all the promises we made.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
From below. The sun will rise.
And give us time to clear our heads.
The end is breathing down my neck.
Though hope is all that we have left.
The pain in understanding. Why we can't take it all back.
It's time to finally let go. Of everything we've known.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
What was it that I came here for?
I swear I'll find you before I drift away.
This is all too familiar now.
I know I've seen this place before. But I just don't recall.
I don't feel like I'm awake. But I'm not dreaming.
I don't know where I'll be drifting. When I finally let go
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
WHAT?! no comments yet? this is my favorite from new hope.