"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.
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Edit (four, three, two, one)
Chicka-ah
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
I see you starin' out the corner of my eye
You seem uneasy, want to approach me, throw me a line
But then somethin' inside you grabs you, says, "Who am I?"
I know exactly 'cause it happens with all the guys
So you, so what'cha gonna do?
Come on and talk to me
Promise you, won't even have an attitude
I'll let you sit right next to me
Don't join the list with these other fools
That ain't the way to be
Yes, it's cool, yes, I'm in the mood
Intimidations got that mind, yeah
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
Can't be afraid or keep me waitin' for too long
Before you know it, I'll be outta here, yeah, I'll be gone
Don't try to be all clever, cute, or even sly
Don't have to work that hard, just be yourself
And let that be your guide
So you, so what'cha gonna do?
So come and talk to me, boy
Promise you, won't even have an attitude
I'll even let you sit right next to me
Don't join the list with these other fools
That ain't the way to be, boy (that ain't the way to be, no)
Yes, it's cool, yes, I'm in the mood
Intimidation every time
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it (say you need, babe)
It's all for you, if you gotta have it (yeah, yeah)
It's all for you if you make a move (make a move it's all for you, baby)
It's all for you, tell me I'm the only one
It's all for you, soon we'll be havin' fun
It's all for you, come over here and get some (come over here, baby, get'cha some)
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you (chicka-ah)
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
It's all for you (chicka-ah), if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see (it's all for you)
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight (it's all for you)
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see (it's all for you)
Got a nice package alright (if you make a move)
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
It's all for you, baby, tell me I'm the only one
And soon we'll be havin' fun (ohh)
Come over here and get some
(Soon we'll be havin' fun) soon you'll be havin' fun
(Soon we'll be havin' fun) chicka-ah
Guess I'm gonna have to ride
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
Guess I'm gonna have to ride (chicka-ah)
Chicka-ah
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Edit (four, three, two, one)
Chicka-ah
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
I see you starin' out the corner of my eye
You seem uneasy, want to approach me, throw me a line
But then somethin' inside you grabs you, says, "Who am I?"
I know exactly 'cause it happens with all the guys
So you, so what'cha gonna do?
Come on and talk to me
Promise you, won't even have an attitude
I'll let you sit right next to me
Don't join the list with these other fools
That ain't the way to be
Yes, it's cool, yes, I'm in the mood
Intimidations got that mind, yeah
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
Can't be afraid or keep me waitin' for too long
Before you know it, I'll be outta here, yeah, I'll be gone
Don't try to be all clever, cute, or even sly
Don't have to work that hard, just be yourself
And let that be your guide
So you, so what'cha gonna do?
So come and talk to me, boy
Promise you, won't even have an attitude
I'll even let you sit right next to me
Don't join the list with these other fools
That ain't the way to be, boy (that ain't the way to be, no)
Yes, it's cool, yes, I'm in the mood
Intimidation every time
It's all for you, if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it (say you need, babe)
It's all for you, if you gotta have it (yeah, yeah)
It's all for you if you make a move (make a move it's all for you, baby)
It's all for you, tell me I'm the only one
It's all for you, soon we'll be havin' fun
It's all for you, come over here and get some (come over here, baby, get'cha some)
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you (chicka-ah)
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
It's all for you (chicka-ah), if you really want it
It's all for you, if you say you need it
It's all for you, if you gotta have it
It's all for you if you make a move
It's all for you
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see (it's all for you)
Got a nice package alright
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight (it's all for you)
All my girls at the party, look at that body
Shakin' that thing like you never did see (it's all for you)
Got a nice package alright (if you make a move)
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
It's all for you, baby, tell me I'm the only one
And soon we'll be havin' fun (ohh)
Come over here and get some
(Soon we'll be havin' fun) soon you'll be havin' fun
(Soon we'll be havin' fun) chicka-ah
Guess I'm gonna have to ride
Guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight
Guess I'm gonna have to ride (chicka-ah)
Chicka-ah
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
All for You Lyrics as written by James Harris Iii Terry Lewis
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, JANET JACKSON DBA BLACK ICE, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Lord Huron
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
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.