"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.
Fopped last night and the night before
I had to fopp outside and then I went indoors
Fopped so hard I made the people warm
They stood back and gave me all the floor
I did the fopp, the fopp
They wouldn't let me stop
Yeah I was foppin' and rockin'
Had the house hoppin'
Foppin', the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin', everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin', wiggle to the floor, everybody was foppin'
Fopp with me and I'll fopp with you
Foppin' is the brand new thing to do
Fopped so hard that I lost my shoe
I fopped so tough they had to make some room
Break your leg, don't you fopp your back
Do your thing, don't you give no slack
Shake your hips and then you turn around
Well first you fopp it up
And then you fopp it down
Fopp me right, don't you fopp me wrong
We'll be here foppin' all night long
I'm too short, baby, and you're too tall
But when we're foppin' that don't mean a thing at all
Foppin', the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin', everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin', wiggle to the floor, everybody was foppin' yeah
Fopp and rock
Fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock
Fopp and rock
Oh, fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock
Yeah, fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock yeah
I had to fopp outside and then I went indoors
Fopped so hard I made the people warm
They stood back and gave me all the floor
I did the fopp, the fopp
They wouldn't let me stop
Yeah I was foppin' and rockin'
Had the house hoppin'
Foppin', the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin', everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin', wiggle to the floor, everybody was foppin'
Fopp with me and I'll fopp with you
Foppin' is the brand new thing to do
Fopped so hard that I lost my shoe
I fopped so tough they had to make some room
Break your leg, don't you fopp your back
Do your thing, don't you give no slack
Shake your hips and then you turn around
Well first you fopp it up
And then you fopp it down
Fopp me right, don't you fopp me wrong
We'll be here foppin' all night long
I'm too short, baby, and you're too tall
But when we're foppin' that don't mean a thing at all
Foppin', the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin', everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin', wiggle to the floor, everybody was foppin' yeah
Fopp and rock
Fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock
Fopp and rock
Oh, fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock
Yeah, fopp and rock
Yeah, I did the fopp and rock yeah
Lyrics submitted by Nelly, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Fopp Lyrics as written by James L. Williams Clarence Satchell
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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.
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I hope no one thinks this is about sex. Cause if so, they're stupid. It's about fashion and dancing. Just look at the lyrics, the go on wikipedia and research a "Fopp". Not the usual from SG, but it rocks ass.