"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.
Early in the morning I wake up to you
Asking me if I'd ever lie to you
'Cause if you didn't notice I came home to you
'Cause baby lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
(All I wanna do, all I wanna do)
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
What's with the all the questions asking me what time I came home to you?
And what's with all the checking on me, I only got one thing to prove
'Cause if you didn't notice I came home to you
'Cause lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (It's all I ever want)
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (All I wanna do)
(All I wanna do)
And lovin' you is all I ever want
Take my phone if it helps,
It ain't even password protected
It's just the truth I've accepted
It's what I should have expected
You saw those messages from next bitches
I told you all of those lies
I thought we dealt with it so why mention it?
I can't move on if you don't try
Nah, nah, nah, never that, think again
Shit, I've been there through thick and thin
Baby there was that once you keep reminding me of
But you can't call that shit love, she can't come in between us
Us no girl, you know I only want you
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (All I wanna do, all I wanna do)
Asking me if I'd ever lie to you
'Cause if you didn't notice I came home to you
'Cause baby lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
(All I wanna do, all I wanna do)
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
What's with the all the questions asking me what time I came home to you?
And what's with all the checking on me, I only got one thing to prove
'Cause if you didn't notice I came home to you
'Cause lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (It's all I ever want)
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (All I wanna do)
(All I wanna do)
And lovin' you is all I ever want
Take my phone if it helps,
It ain't even password protected
It's just the truth I've accepted
It's what I should have expected
You saw those messages from next bitches
I told you all of those lies
I thought we dealt with it so why mention it?
I can't move on if you don't try
Nah, nah, nah, never that, think again
Shit, I've been there through thick and thin
Baby there was that once you keep reminding me of
But you can't call that shit love, she can't come in between us
Us no girl, you know I only want you
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do
Girl I only want you
You the only one I want
It's only us two
'Cause baby you the one
And lovin' you is all I ever wanna do (All I wanna do, all I wanna do)
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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,
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.
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.
Jay Sean is embarking on the next stage of his career following his recent departure from Cash Money Records. Wasting little time the British crooner is currently prepping for the release of his new mixtape The Mistress II. Returning to his R&B roots, Jay gives us a sample of the sequel to his 2011 mixtape, with the song “All I Want.”
Over a melodic track with atmospheric synths and subtle haunting vocals, Jay assures his lady that she’s the only one on his mind.
“You’re the only one I want, ’cause baby you the one / And loving you is all I ever want to do,” he sings.