"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.
I smiled that kind of icy blue smile, of a noonday reckoning
the tied together two, of tell-tale pictures
I've sketched in, sand castle plots and plans.
Similar starting points, both for sin, and shooting blanks
but it's always, the unseen sharp pang.
The awkward rhythm of the dance
like a tick-tock clock, in that heart of hearts
repeating, repeating
there is no happy here
there is no happy here...
devil may care touches
trickled down
spine, thigh, and breast...
spine, thigh, and breast
may never truly
illuminate, illuminate, the finer art
of heartwork
devil may care touches, trickled down
spine, thigh, and breast...
may never, illuminate, finer art, heartwork
the finer art, of heartwork
I was turning over, with the sheets, and facing the arched back
thinking of how my eyes, half-opened, (there is no happy here)
caught her arm (there is no happy here)
moving from side to side (there is no happy here)
but never to me (there is no happy here)
(there is no happy here) it's all connected
(there is no happy here) by blank words
(there is no happy here) to tell empty promises
(there is no happy here) of clumsy miscommunication(there is no happy here)
(there is no happy here) (there is no happy here) so we say what we will
to see what we may, to find a Biblical knowing, in these last few hours
so we say what we will, [what we will]
to see what we may, [what we may]
to find a Biblical knowing, [knowing]
in these last few hours, in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few...
it's too sad, it's too tragic, i spent myself, choking on, motions
leading up to said, misfortune
it's too sad, too tragic, spent myself [spent myself]
choking on, motions, leading up to said, [spent myself] misfortune
too sad, it's too tragic, spent myself [spent myself]
choking on the motions, leading up to, said, misfortune
the tied together two, of tell-tale pictures
I've sketched in, sand castle plots and plans.
Similar starting points, both for sin, and shooting blanks
but it's always, the unseen sharp pang.
The awkward rhythm of the dance
like a tick-tock clock, in that heart of hearts
repeating, repeating
there is no happy here
there is no happy here...
devil may care touches
trickled down
spine, thigh, and breast...
spine, thigh, and breast
may never truly
illuminate, illuminate, the finer art
of heartwork
devil may care touches, trickled down
spine, thigh, and breast...
may never, illuminate, finer art, heartwork
the finer art, of heartwork
I was turning over, with the sheets, and facing the arched back
thinking of how my eyes, half-opened, (there is no happy here)
caught her arm (there is no happy here)
moving from side to side (there is no happy here)
but never to me (there is no happy here)
(there is no happy here) it's all connected
(there is no happy here) by blank words
(there is no happy here) to tell empty promises
(there is no happy here) of clumsy miscommunication(there is no happy here)
(there is no happy here) (there is no happy here) so we say what we will
to see what we may, to find a Biblical knowing, in these last few hours
so we say what we will, [what we will]
to see what we may, [what we may]
to find a Biblical knowing, [knowing]
in these last few hours, in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few, [in these last few hours]
in these last few...
it's too sad, it's too tragic, i spent myself, choking on, motions
leading up to said, misfortune
it's too sad, too tragic, spent myself [spent myself]
choking on, motions, leading up to said, [spent myself] misfortune
too sad, it's too tragic, spent myself [spent myself]
choking on the motions, leading up to, said, misfortune
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Yo La Tengo
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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The Becky pities da foo who doesn't listen to this song and repeats "there is no happy here" on a regular basis. SPINE THIGH AND BREAST. I think this song is about breasts. And quite possibly erections.