"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.
Avenues
Avenues
Avenues
Oh
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back my homie
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back my homie
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
Yeah
Is the love reciprocated
Masked hatred
Back stabbers smile in ya face
They feel adjacent
Watch movement
Some glorify the ones that they cool with
But the ones that you cool with could be the ones that'll do ya
Sad reality
Some people looking at you like you cowardly
For watching who you be around and where you focus hourly
First thing, learn to choose ya avenues properly
Worst thing, gave in when they don't want us buying property
Amongst other choices
Unheard voices
The voiceless in poverty
Will hoist up the problems seen
Thoughts about said topic the main focus
That's why you gotta choose ya avenues
The lanes open
Find the right one for you, stay positive
Live and you learn
Go where the knowledge is
Gotta level up some get a scholarship
Even if you don't, gotta find your power kid
Power kid
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back
Gotta keep it moving
Meanwhile the back stabbers got you living rent free
No time for choosing
Living, producing
Being productive
No time for goofing
Or snoozing
Visualize movies
In the lines that's written, I score
Based on the life I live
Preparing me for future decisions
On a mission I step with precision
Tunnel vision
No excuses
Attention
Watch surroundings and listen
Listen
Granny's kitchen
The good ole days
Memories saved
Reflecting on the path that was made
How far I done came
Go and get it still made a way
Walking down the avenue I chose still gon say
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back
Pick ya lane
Go and get it
For real gotta maintain
If you with it
I said
Pick ya lane
Go and get it
For real gotta maintain
If you with it
I said
The cold shoulders and the ones that sold
It hurts the most
But you gotta let 'em go
Love from from a distance
The avenue you chose
Love from from a distance
The avenue you chose
Avenues
Avenues
Oh
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back my homie
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back my homie
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
Yeah
Is the love reciprocated
Masked hatred
Back stabbers smile in ya face
They feel adjacent
Watch movement
Some glorify the ones that they cool with
But the ones that you cool with could be the ones that'll do ya
Sad reality
Some people looking at you like you cowardly
For watching who you be around and where you focus hourly
First thing, learn to choose ya avenues properly
Worst thing, gave in when they don't want us buying property
Amongst other choices
Unheard voices
The voiceless in poverty
Will hoist up the problems seen
Thoughts about said topic the main focus
That's why you gotta choose ya avenues
The lanes open
Find the right one for you, stay positive
Live and you learn
Go where the knowledge is
Gotta level up some get a scholarship
Even if you don't, gotta find your power kid
Power kid
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back
Gotta keep it moving
Meanwhile the back stabbers got you living rent free
No time for choosing
Living, producing
Being productive
No time for goofing
Or snoozing
Visualize movies
In the lines that's written, I score
Based on the life I live
Preparing me for future decisions
On a mission I step with precision
Tunnel vision
No excuses
Attention
Watch surroundings and listen
Listen
Granny's kitchen
The good ole days
Memories saved
Reflecting on the path that was made
How far I done came
Go and get it still made a way
Walking down the avenue I chose still gon say
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Pick ya avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back my homie
Sometimes you gotta change avenues
And watch ya back
And watch ya back
Pick ya lane
Go and get it
For real gotta maintain
If you with it
I said
Pick ya lane
Go and get it
For real gotta maintain
If you with it
I said
The cold shoulders and the ones that sold
It hurts the most
But you gotta let 'em go
Love from from a distance
The avenue you chose
Love from from a distance
The avenue you chose
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
(From above)
I'm just a man with some diamonds in my pocket, I like you, mam, but Im here to plan a racket
overlapping lyrics
deliver unconditional sometimes
Exltude -
Another Episode: Now, I'm just chillin in the sand in a Neil Young style, I'll catch you in a minute, I'd rather chill a while I left the East Coast, went to the West Coast, Touch down, _(seen it through?)__, butter on toast.
I didn't used to know the art of saying nothin' It's harder than saying something with something constantly rushing through the front door of which I lost my key last week I can't speak but you know what I'm saying cause
I'm not on the planet for long so don't give me the run around time, It's chasing us down. I got to keep it movin'
Super fly trip watch that girl kiss favorite rapper fat lip black broad tip
We skipped downtown rollin' on a skate She can pay but she can't trade what she can't say now She may not hate them neither do we hate them Givin' us the run around
I went to ol' man river He said "get it, don't stop, you can be popular, just don't try to go pop."
I'm not on the planet for long, so don't give me the run around time, It's chasing us down. I got to keep it movin'
You led me to a parking lot, and lost the car that you came with and drove me from the backseat I like the wind in my face, top-down, music and rhyming in the backseat.
You drove me to a parking lot, and lost the car that you came with and drove me from the backseat I like the wind in my face, top-down, music and riding in the backseat.
Yeah, Backseat of the taxi, we saw the episode
Josh, Joshua .... Andrew Thats my homies