"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 shadowy holes, the light disappears,
Evening is with us now,
And all around begins the movement,
The many creatures of the night prepare.
Undisturbed by the sound, with noiseless tread,
A figure comes into view,
A trail of magic runs behind him,
The Man of Spells has come to visit you,
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you all want him to do.
Drawn back cloak revealing,
Wraith-like form concealing,
Half-seen eyes unseeing,
Half-heard words beseeching,
Help me as I helped you,
Help me now I need you.
The enchantment is gone, the ghost disappears,
Leaving just a tired old man,
In restless dreams we might have changed him,
But a wanderer's all he'll ever be.
With shuffling feet he turns and is gone,
Back to his open home,
A trail of ashes runs behind him,
The man of magic has retired tonight,
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you wanted him to do.
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you wanted him to do...
Evening is with us now,
And all around begins the movement,
The many creatures of the night prepare.
Undisturbed by the sound, with noiseless tread,
A figure comes into view,
A trail of magic runs behind him,
The Man of Spells has come to visit you,
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you all want him to do.
Drawn back cloak revealing,
Wraith-like form concealing,
Half-seen eyes unseeing,
Half-heard words beseeching,
Help me as I helped you,
Help me now I need you.
The enchantment is gone, the ghost disappears,
Leaving just a tired old man,
In restless dreams we might have changed him,
But a wanderer's all he'll ever be.
With shuffling feet he turns and is gone,
Back to his open home,
A trail of ashes runs behind him,
The man of magic has retired tonight,
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you wanted him to do.
He knows how much you really want him,
He knows just what you wanted him to do...
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Man of Spells Lyrics as written by Anthony George Banks
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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,
Blue
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