"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.
Here we go, I'm hanging out in Camden
Drinking with my girlfriends on a Saturday night
This guy says, "Come and meet my girlfriend"
She's sitting in the corner looking rather uptight
So I say "Hello" and I try to be nice
But I see he's feeling itchy
Trying to play us off each other
"Girls, girls, please don't fight" (you get the picture)
Hey you, the muscles and the long hair
Telling me that women are superior to men
Most guys just don't appreciate this
You just try convincing me you're better than them
So he talks for hours about his sensitive soul
And his favorite subject is sex
I don't even think he really wanted it
But, Christ this guy's too much (I want to tell him)
I'm as human as the next girl
I like a bit of flattery
But I don't need your practiced lines
Your school of charm mentality so
Save your breath for someone else and credit me with something more
When it comes to men like you
I know the score
I've heard it all before
(Here comes the next one)
Blondie was with me for a summer
He flirted like a maniac but I wouldn't bite
I'm weak and he was so persistent
He only had to have me 'cause I put up a fight
Oh God, the boy had such an ego
He liked to talk about himself all day and all night
You think you're such a ladykiller
But you were nothing special 'til you turned out the light
When he's nice to me he's just nice to himself
And he's watching his reflection
I'm a five foot mirror for adoring himself
Here's seven years bad luck (I want to tell him)
When you say you love me you're just flattering your vanity
But I don't need your practiced lines
Your school of charm mentality so
Save your breath for someone else and credit me with something more
When it comes to men like you
I know the score
I've heard it all before
Ooh, you're such a ladykiller
Always on a winner, thinking that you're in there
Oh boy, you're such a ladykiller
Super sexy mister, call it what you will, oh
You think you're such a lady killer
I just bet you're still there, posing in the mirror
Hey girls, he's such a ladykiller
But we know where he's coming from and we know the score
Drinking with my girlfriends on a Saturday night
This guy says, "Come and meet my girlfriend"
She's sitting in the corner looking rather uptight
So I say "Hello" and I try to be nice
But I see he's feeling itchy
Trying to play us off each other
"Girls, girls, please don't fight" (you get the picture)
Hey you, the muscles and the long hair
Telling me that women are superior to men
Most guys just don't appreciate this
You just try convincing me you're better than them
So he talks for hours about his sensitive soul
And his favorite subject is sex
I don't even think he really wanted it
But, Christ this guy's too much (I want to tell him)
I'm as human as the next girl
I like a bit of flattery
But I don't need your practiced lines
Your school of charm mentality so
Save your breath for someone else and credit me with something more
When it comes to men like you
I know the score
I've heard it all before
(Here comes the next one)
Blondie was with me for a summer
He flirted like a maniac but I wouldn't bite
I'm weak and he was so persistent
He only had to have me 'cause I put up a fight
Oh God, the boy had such an ego
He liked to talk about himself all day and all night
You think you're such a ladykiller
But you were nothing special 'til you turned out the light
When he's nice to me he's just nice to himself
And he's watching his reflection
I'm a five foot mirror for adoring himself
Here's seven years bad luck (I want to tell him)
When you say you love me you're just flattering your vanity
But I don't need your practiced lines
Your school of charm mentality so
Save your breath for someone else and credit me with something more
When it comes to men like you
I know the score
I've heard it all before
Ooh, you're such a ladykiller
Always on a winner, thinking that you're in there
Oh boy, you're such a ladykiller
Super sexy mister, call it what you will, oh
You think you're such a lady killer
I just bet you're still there, posing in the mirror
Hey girls, he's such a ladykiller
But we know where he's coming from and we know the score
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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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
This song was on NCAA Football 2006. So randomly on there as part of "EA Trax." The song is really catchy though, and despite it feeling out of place in a college football game, I can't deny its awsomeness. Ironic because some would call me a "Ladykiller."