"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.
Thrust the candle to the dark of your disease
Burn the fish plate execute ill memories
Labyrinth of sympathy in which I'm lost and can't leave
And too much truth overshadows the lime lies
And what lies beneath the clouds is an
Altered perception and I'll pay for sanity
But sanity don't come cheap
You don't know the truth and I love your life
Flinch against the fire but this ain't winter
And I'm all by myself the way I want to be
Where I'm content to be to be all by myself
But frozen eyes are bound to melt.
Burn the fish plate execute ill memories
Labyrinth of sympathy in which I'm lost and can't leave
And too much truth overshadows the lime lies
And what lies beneath the clouds is an
Altered perception and I'll pay for sanity
But sanity don't come cheap
You don't know the truth and I love your life
Flinch against the fire but this ain't winter
And I'm all by myself the way I want to be
Where I'm content to be to be all by myself
But frozen eyes are bound to melt.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
i forget where i read it, it could have been on chairpage, but daniel had said he wrote this song about therapy and he was sitting talking to his psychologist thinking about how so many fans say the songs have helped them through shit and he thought that not everyone is as fortunate as he is to be able to afford a good psychologist. and that's where this song came from.. not a direct quote, but you get the idea.