"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.
You didn't know me when you were a kid
In trouble at school, alone at lunch again
I didn't know you when I broke my knee
Spent the summer on crutches and everybody teased
Except for this one friend I almost forgot
You didn't know me but he knew me best
The weight of my brain and my fear of my cold head
You never saw me interred in the ice
My friend tried to melt but he couldn't me thaw me outright
So I got ditched freezing, alone with my thoughts
And though I once said I was better off just being dead
Better off just being dead, without my old friend
True I once said I was better off just being dead
But I didn't know you yet
You didn't know me but you got cold too
Your mind was heavy and you thought you might lose it
Well everything fucked up, we both felt before
I'm glad for it all if it got us where we are
With you in the boat there, I almost forgot
How I once said I was better off just being dead
Better off just being dead, I didn't know you yet
And you might've said you were better off just being dead
But I'm looking out for you, my friend, looking
I didn't know you when you were a kid
But swimming with you, it sure feels like I did
In trouble at school, alone at lunch again
I didn't know you when I broke my knee
Spent the summer on crutches and everybody teased
Except for this one friend I almost forgot
You didn't know me but he knew me best
The weight of my brain and my fear of my cold head
You never saw me interred in the ice
My friend tried to melt but he couldn't me thaw me outright
So I got ditched freezing, alone with my thoughts
And though I once said I was better off just being dead
Better off just being dead, without my old friend
True I once said I was better off just being dead
But I didn't know you yet
You didn't know me but you got cold too
Your mind was heavy and you thought you might lose it
Well everything fucked up, we both felt before
I'm glad for it all if it got us where we are
With you in the boat there, I almost forgot
How I once said I was better off just being dead
Better off just being dead, I didn't know you yet
And you might've said you were better off just being dead
But I'm looking out for you, my friend, looking
I didn't know you when you were a kid
But swimming with you, it sure feels like I did
Lyrics submitted by Magnetar, edited by j0nnynoname, lukekulich
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
My favourite part about this song is the last line:
i didn't know you when you were a kid but swimming with you, it sure feels like i did
she talked about being frozen in ice earlier in the song. then at the end when she says this, she's saying the ice melted and they're swimming in the water. it's so sweet.