"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.
All the Holocaust deniers
To a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
All their ink stains on their wrists mean business
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
You who accuse the dying of lying
You can't tell fake from honest crying
Argentina steakhouse Swiss Bank gold card
Aren't going to help you were you're going at
So who'll be the Jew to make the papers
Drenched in blood up to your blue Jew eyeballs
And God and his almighty wisdom
May somehow grant an open season
All the Holocaust deniers
In a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
All their ink stains on their wrists mean business
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
To a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
All their ink stains on their wrists mean business
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
You who accuse the dying of lying
You can't tell fake from honest crying
Argentina steakhouse Swiss Bank gold card
Aren't going to help you were you're going at
So who'll be the Jew to make the papers
Drenched in blood up to your blue Jew eyeballs
And God and his almighty wisdom
May somehow grant an open season
All the Holocaust deniers
In a bathhouse warm and quiet
Complimentary soap, complimentary haircut
And gas them up until they know that
All their ink stains on their wrists mean business
And God is the almighty witness
I wish they'd cure the friendly neighbors
Of the disease which makes them haters
Lyrics submitted by patswayze, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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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
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,
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.
I was electrified when I heard this at the Beacon Theatre, too, evebs34. Through the whole thing I was freaked out, near tears, & also very appreciative of the beauty of its sound. This is one of the most unsettling things I've heard in quite some time.
The most disturbing element of this song is the theme of retribution; that those who deny that agony & cruelty exist have that same agony & cruelty directed at them. Can't they be made to understand by any other means?
on the other listing for these lyrics (why are there two?) sheela_l mentioned the possibility that this song was written in reaction to the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I don't think that it was, only because not enough time has passed since then: it's improbable Regina could have completed the song so quickly. It sounds (at least, to me) polished & not like an initial draft. Whether it was or wasn't, it's sadly a pertinent song. We need to recognise hatred before we can work on eliminating it. It's so important that we are all educated about the genocides that have taken place (not only the Holocaust) & CONTINUE TO TAKE PLACE TO-DAY.
evebs34, I wish you a safe trip to Poland. You'll be seeing upsetting things, but we should all follow your example, even by doing some thing as simple as reading some articles on-line. Pretending it didn't happen only makes it worse.
Peace <3