"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.
As I lay here with you
The shame lies with us
We talk of love and trust
That doesn't matter
Though we may be the last in the world
We feel like pioneers
Telling hopes and fears
To one another
And, oh, what a feeling inside of me
It might last for an hour
Wounds aren't healing inside of me
Though it feels good now
I know it's only for now
The feeling is intense
You grip me with your eyes
And then I realise
It doesn't matter
The shame lies with us
We talk of love and trust
That doesn't matter
Though we may be the last in the world
We feel like pioneers
Telling hopes and fears
To one another
And, oh, what a feeling inside of me
It might last for an hour
Wounds aren't healing inside of me
Though it feels good now
I know it's only for now
The feeling is intense
You grip me with your eyes
And then I realise
It doesn't matter
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
It' about ex-lovers who still love each other and see from time to time. They talk about love and trust maybe about their new releationships. The shame part is about how they've ruined their's with lust maybe?. they feel that not a lot of people are like them. with that special connection. "Wounds aren't healing Inside of me Though it feel good now" It's like some kind of therapy for them to overcome this failed releationship. And it's depressing because it works just for a an hour. But it doesn't matter. because they feel good. and thats all they can do now.
This song is very depressing. Instead of focusing on the joy of the moment, he's focusing on the fact that he will soon be unhappy again. I like this song because I can relate to it and have had that feeling before, but it's kind of a downer at the same time.
Im pretty sure this song describes the Very First sexual encounter of two teenagers. I can really relate to it as it reminds me of how I felt during and after my first time at age 19.
This song is amazing the way it sets a mood. You actually feel like you're there having meaningless sex that leaves you feeling empty inside.
Just figured the true meaning of this song after knowing it for more than 3 decades. Been systematically cheating my wife with a beautiful girl who is 20 years younger. Sex is out of this world and it was supposed to stay like that.. but lately we were tempted to open up emotionally, despite of knowing there is no chance for a future together.
Yesterday we stayed together for the first time until early morning hours. Once the action was over, we stayed in bed, looking in each others eyes and continuously kissed until she fell sleep, with her pretty head on my chest, feeling safe.
Woke her up an hour later and drove her back home. On the way back I played Black Celebration album in my car and it gave me the shivers. This song is about cheating with someone that can fill these gaps in your soul and can ignite your every passion and fire. Despite these strong emotions and the butterflies, we know it's only for now.
This is another example of Martin's concept of pleasure and pain. I've been missing her every single moment but still won't leave the love of my life to have a future with her. I know it's only for now.
@ViolatorUltra Since this post is the only place where I've ever shared this publicly, I'd like to take this chance to provide a brief update.<br /> <br /> Four months later, we're deeply in love. It's real, it happened. I can't imagine a life without her. Now, you can guess what will be with my wife and kids.
Such an amazing song. There was a time in my life when I was sure it was written about me.
Martin Gore is a genius.
Is it wrong that I find this song uplifting?
Lol, hot. Martin describing sex, even though not exactly in a positive light, is almost unbearably sexy.
I think this song is about two people that are betraying their boyfriend/girlfriend.. "As I lay here with you The shame lies with us We talk of love and trust That doesn't matter" it is that they are having a good time together, they talk about love, but it doesn't matter. how can you talk about love if you're betraying someone? They both now that it's not going to last forever, even if they want to..
hi out there, i have some questions (because i'm not a native english-speaker)
a) "as i lay here with you" - does that necessarily mean to have made sex with someone, or to make sex with someone, or is it also possible that it is meant to lie with someone on the couch watching tv (as teenagers sometimes do)
b) the line "that doesn matter" - does it relate to "love and trust" - or does it relate to "we talk"? for me it makes really a difference. if (like it would be in the first case) the matter of fact that these people talk of love doesn't matter, the meaning of this song is a different one than if someone would speak of unimportant love.
c) "the shame lies with us" - does it mean that they feel embarrassed or that they made something thats not moral? (or is it a question of interpreting?)
at least i want to share my own thoughts about this song with you: for me it's also depressing, and i imagine the situation of two teenagers, who feel a deep love, and who maybe make their first sexual expieriences. But nevertheless, they know that in the most cases the "first love" is not the love that stays forever. Maybe also they know that love is just a biological thing, something that produces strong feelings, which give the impression they hold on forever - but as they reason, they notice that these feelings are illusive. and maybe they know that very often love ends with immense pain...
Honestly, all the stuff you have mentioned is absolutely correct. The lines you are referring to could be interpretted in any of the ways that you mentioned, it's just about what the song means to you on a personal level!<br /> I have my own interpretations, but really the only one who knows what these lyrics truly mean is Martin Gore! ;)<br /> <br /> a) "As I lay here with you" - Lay can of course just mean to lie down, here I think it will probably mean to have sex, or maybe just after sex(the song It Doesn't Matter also by Depeche Mode has the line "lay down next to me and please don't move a muscle" sounds very similar and for me it has the same meaning)<br /> <br /> b) "We talk of love and trust, That doesn't matter." - I have always though this relates to both "love and trust" and the "talk", as neither matter. It reminds me of the things we say when we want to have our wicked ways with somebody, when you are attracted to someone and want to have sex with them you sometimes say things that you don't actually mean, you tell them you love them and try to make them trust you so that they will fall for you. <br /> <br /> c) "The shame lies with us" - Later in the song Martin says "though it feels good now, I know it's only for now" which makes me think that something about what he has done is wrong, maybe immoral, maybe he has made a mistake that will hurt the person he has been sleeping with or will effect him in the future. I think that he is ashamed with himself for what he has done.<br /> <br /> like I said this is only my interpretation! This song could mean something completely different to you. I think what you said about your own interpretation of the song is very close to mine though. I also think it's about sex between people who are perhaps young. I also think that maybe the guy in this song is using the girl he is with, the sex is meaningless to him. Martin writes many songs that talk about sex in a very emotional and sometimes negative way, like World Full Of Nothing and Somebody, something that I don't think is done very often and when it is, it isn't done as effectively as DM songs are. He's very underrated as a songwriter...