"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.
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da (x3)
Coming from his quickly parked car the big cop
With the gun cocked behind his back
Walked slow and steady towards the kid with the corn rows
Who his boy had caught and dropped up against his Crown Royal
There are three other cop cars stopped
Abruptly blocking Kennedy Avenue
Their drivers, night sticks in hand, stand round
That corn-rowed kid
Oh I drove on by, no I didn't wanna take a bullet this time
I ran the red light, and not one cop looked
(You are what you wear
How can I fix this place?)
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Just because because because he's arrogant
Don't mean you terrorize him...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
...cold cement
And then you try to pretend
He wasn't...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Every day it's the same...
(Let me break it down for you)
Was this going to be an informal execution
Like South American police do every day
Take him behind a van in broad fucking daylight
While pedestrians looked away
Afraid that they might be next
(You are what you wear
How can I fix this place?)
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Just because because because he's arrogant
Don't mean you terrorize him...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Every day it's the same...
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
...cold cement
And then you try to pretend
He wasn't...
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da (x3)
Well the Wells Fargo wagon is a-comin' down the street
Oh please let it be for me
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da (x3)
Coming from his quickly parked car the big cop
With the gun cocked behind his back
Walked slow and steady towards the kid with the corn rows
Who his boy had caught and dropped up against his Crown Royal
There are three other cop cars stopped
Abruptly blocking Kennedy Avenue
Their drivers, night sticks in hand, stand round
That corn-rowed kid
Oh I drove on by, no I didn't wanna take a bullet this time
I ran the red light, and not one cop looked
(You are what you wear
How can I fix this place?)
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Just because because because he's arrogant
Don't mean you terrorize him...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
...cold cement
And then you try to pretend
He wasn't...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Every day it's the same...
(Let me break it down for you)
Was this going to be an informal execution
Like South American police do every day
Take him behind a van in broad fucking daylight
While pedestrians looked away
Afraid that they might be next
(You are what you wear
How can I fix this place?)
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Just because because because he's arrogant
Don't mean you terrorize him...
I'm askin' who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
Every day it's the same...
Who should be held responsible for the death of a meal-bound boy?
...cold cement
And then you try to pretend
He wasn't...
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da (x3)
Well the Wells Fargo wagon is a-comin' down the street
Oh please let it be for me
Lyrics submitted by amyclae
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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,
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
If anyone knows the missing lyrics, please post :)