"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.
In the morning I went down to the beach
and gazed out to the sea
Suddenly I was only a leaf
and you
were an ancient flower
When I'm away do you think of me
or is it only when I'm present
on the cliff I lay my head down
now I know where the sun is
How is Charles?
I haven't heard from him for a long long time
A thousand years seem to pass
So quickly
We wash our hands in water
and we rub them with the cloth
I have an idea what comes after
what will happen when I'm gone
Along the coastline we sow some seeds
It is lemon it is mint
Then the buzzing cicadas
rock us to sleep
How is Charles?
I haven't heard from him for a long long time
A thousand years seem to pass
So quickly
and gazed out to the sea
Suddenly I was only a leaf
and you
were an ancient flower
When I'm away do you think of me
or is it only when I'm present
on the cliff I lay my head down
now I know where the sun is
How is Charles?
I haven't heard from him for a long long time
A thousand years seem to pass
So quickly
We wash our hands in water
and we rub them with the cloth
I have an idea what comes after
what will happen when I'm gone
Along the coastline we sow some seeds
It is lemon it is mint
Then the buzzing cicadas
rock us to sleep
How is Charles?
I haven't heard from him for a long long time
A thousand years seem to pass
So quickly
Lyrics submitted by cmj_ab
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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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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/
This is an absolutely brilliant song that sums up all of evolution, and the majesty of our place within it. In this song, we see the joy of communion with nature and our communion within the grand tapestry of creation. We are products and observers of this tremendous universe. Our deaths are not events of loss, but rather, just another part of existence. We are one with this universe. We are its flesh. We are its soul. We are.
I completely agree with Lemarcke. I'd just like to add that the verse about Charles (Darwin) probably relates to how little time we spend on Earth in the grand scheme of things, and how we experience it. Darwin died over 100 years go (a long time, right?), but a thousand years seem to pass "so quickly." Humans are such a small cog in the machine.
I think this album was really overlooked, the care and thought that was put into it is very apparent. It's a great meditation on evolution.