"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.
They said it'd be like a wake but the closest I could match this to would be the last day of term, stealing desks as souvenirs.
About 130 years here, now we draw each other on the walls and new addresses are cold comfort to some.
With the squatters notices already stuck to the insides of the windows with yellowed sticky tape, you stayed up all night tearing doors off the hinges;
Now you lie down on the stage and the breeze keeps you awake.
This is long past debate.
Levels of hard won civic pride.
Yeah, the taxes were steep, but you can't compete with the big guns.
This town is for the chains now.
This community is undone.
Maybe the goosebumps on yr arm are the last ghosts leaving brushing past,
The old guard is over, the old guard is over now.
Maybe the goosebumps on yr arm are the last ghosts leaving brushing past,
The old guard is over, the old guard is over now.
So raise yr glasses to the new optimism.
Pulled brick by brick to the sound of breaking glass, overloaded and leaving removal vans, and the creak in the broken step on the fire escape that surely would have killed you had it had to endure one more bulging cardboard box.
Or cheap Ikea wardrobe.
Or speaker cabinet.
Or hamster house.
Or broken set of disco lights.
Or collection of shoes that would shame Elmelda.
Or summer fan.
Or winter heater or a bin bag full of clothes you don't think you'll probably ever wear...
About 130 years here, now we draw each other on the walls and new addresses are cold comfort to some.
With the squatters notices already stuck to the insides of the windows with yellowed sticky tape, you stayed up all night tearing doors off the hinges;
Now you lie down on the stage and the breeze keeps you awake.
This is long past debate.
Levels of hard won civic pride.
Yeah, the taxes were steep, but you can't compete with the big guns.
This town is for the chains now.
This community is undone.
Maybe the goosebumps on yr arm are the last ghosts leaving brushing past,
The old guard is over, the old guard is over now.
Maybe the goosebumps on yr arm are the last ghosts leaving brushing past,
The old guard is over, the old guard is over now.
So raise yr glasses to the new optimism.
Pulled brick by brick to the sound of breaking glass, overloaded and leaving removal vans, and the creak in the broken step on the fire escape that surely would have killed you had it had to endure one more bulging cardboard box.
Or cheap Ikea wardrobe.
Or speaker cabinet.
Or hamster house.
Or broken set of disco lights.
Or collection of shoes that would shame Elmelda.
Or summer fan.
Or winter heater or a bin bag full of clothes you don't think you'll probably ever wear...
Lyrics submitted by shrodes
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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
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
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.