"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 give to you, you take from me
We live in perfect harmony
But I know you can't give me what I need
wWith subtle care and rosey hues
We duke it out, we change our views
We hold so dear our unanimity
Oh...
We are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, lost in this charade
We are just pretenders, characters on stage
We are just pretenders, trying to break free
We are just pretenders, hiding so no one sees
We try to find our peace of mind
Just a vestige we left behind
But ignorance takes far less energy
And if you please, I'll look to you
Because I need somebody who
forgives me for my harsh reality
Oh...but
We are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, we're trying to break free
We are just pretenders, we'll lose them easily
We are just pretenders, trying to break free
We are just pretenders, hiding so no one sees
You standing there
playing with your hair
Trying to ignore
but peeking in the mirror
Re-living the scenes
from books and magazines
Craving the life
you live in your dreams
And I'm standing here
Thinking that it's queer
But fearing that I am the same
You ask me how I feel
It's so damn surreal
I think it's finally time we ended this game
'cause we are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, lost in this charade
We are just pretenders...
We live in perfect harmony
But I know you can't give me what I need
wWith subtle care and rosey hues
We duke it out, we change our views
We hold so dear our unanimity
Oh...
We are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, lost in this charade
We are just pretenders, characters on stage
We are just pretenders, trying to break free
We are just pretenders, hiding so no one sees
We try to find our peace of mind
Just a vestige we left behind
But ignorance takes far less energy
And if you please, I'll look to you
Because I need somebody who
forgives me for my harsh reality
Oh...but
We are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, we're trying to break free
We are just pretenders, we'll lose them easily
We are just pretenders, trying to break free
We are just pretenders, hiding so no one sees
You standing there
playing with your hair
Trying to ignore
but peeking in the mirror
Re-living the scenes
from books and magazines
Craving the life
you live in your dreams
And I'm standing here
Thinking that it's queer
But fearing that I am the same
You ask me how I feel
It's so damn surreal
I think it's finally time we ended this game
'cause we are just pretenders
We are just pretenders, lost in this charade
We are just pretenders...
Lyrics submitted by Kpizzle
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
Magical
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Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
As is written, this song refers to our lives as a game or a play. Why? Because most of the time we refuse to hold on to what we believe because it is easier to be ignorant and the fact that "we hold dear our unanimity". I think this also has a lot to do with relationships do to the way some of it is worded.