"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.
All down the street they're standin' in line
With white lipstick and one thing on their minds
Hey little freak with the lunch pail purse
Underneath the paint you're just a little girl
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Cute little dropout, how come you pack a rod
Is your mother in a clinic? Has your father got no job?
Sometimes you're so impulsive, you shaved off all your hair
You look like Boris Karloff and you don't even care
You're dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
She disappears at sunrise,
I wonder where she goes until the night
Comes fallin' down again
You show up with your friends, half-alive
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Well, you can make a big impression or go through life unseen
You might wind up restricted and over seventeen
It's so hard to be careful, so easy to be led
Somewhere beyond the pavement
You'll find the living dead.
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all she wants to do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
She disappears at sunrise,
I don't know where she goes until the night
Comes fallin' down again
She shows up with her friends, half-alive
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Yeah dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Yeah get down at the Zombie Zoo
With white lipstick and one thing on their minds
Hey little freak with the lunch pail purse
Underneath the paint you're just a little girl
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Cute little dropout, how come you pack a rod
Is your mother in a clinic? Has your father got no job?
Sometimes you're so impulsive, you shaved off all your hair
You look like Boris Karloff and you don't even care
You're dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
She disappears at sunrise,
I wonder where she goes until the night
Comes fallin' down again
You show up with your friends, half-alive
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Well, you can make a big impression or go through life unseen
You might wind up restricted and over seventeen
It's so hard to be careful, so easy to be led
Somewhere beyond the pavement
You'll find the living dead.
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all she wants to do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
She disappears at sunrise,
I don't know where she goes until the night
Comes fallin' down again
She shows up with her friends, half-alive
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo,
Dancin' at the Zombie Zoo
Painted in a corner and all you wanna do
Is dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Yeah dance down at the Zombie Zoo
Yeah get down at the Zombie Zoo
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
Yes, Zombie Zoo was a "Deathrock" club in Los Angeles in the 80's ("goth" used to be called "deathrock"). There was a restaraunt nextdoor to the club called Ships (it was kind-of like a Dennys). The patrons of the club used to hang-out there and eat. One night Tom Petty and Roy Orbison stopped in for a late night dinner after a recording session and met some of the club kids, and wrote a song about them.
Zombie Zoo had many locations. The location that Tom saw was at "the Facade" on LaBrea. Zombie Zoo was also at Osko's downstairs in "the Cave", a room that was made to look like a cave. It was also at a dance hall called "La Casa" in downtown. it's first location was on Washington in a rather bad part of town (this is the locaztion that had the stack of TV's the played random things on each screen).
Yes, we did book punkrock bands, as there weren't really enough "deathrock" bands around yet.
Tom petty is a bastard. He wrote the song about my club. I called his managment to request a couple of tix to his concert. I was told "Tom said no". What a @#*&$%@!
Everything Mike Hell says is true because I was the DJ at the Zombie Zoo and he owned the club! Mike, how ya doing? My 16 year old found some old Zombie Zoo magazines a while ago and I starting thinking about you and how much fun I had D.J.ing and making the mag. We sure were creative kids. I don't know if this program will email you with my reply and my email address. If not, leave a message here and I will respond with my email. I do have a FB page.
Mikehell you almost got it right.. the funny part is that you doen't remember WHY Tom Petty said NO. LOL. and that makes me roll on the floor.<br /> <br /> I was hanging out at the door with Sammy one night - and along comes none other than Tom Petty with the guitarist from cheap trick, Rick Neilson. They wanted to get in for free. <br /> <br /> I told Sammy she should let them in it would be good for the club (they were celebrities, whether death rockers or not). She asked you.. but you refused.<br /> <br /> LOL.<br /> <br /> They were shocked - this little podunk DR hangout was turning them down. They stood out there and argued it for quite awhile, and eventually, well they shoved off. I tried telling Sammy to let them in anyway... she wouldn't do it without your approval. <br /> <br /> Well, I guess it was a good move - else there would be no song ripping mike's club.<br /> <br /> Hey Mike - i would bet that he didn't just say no, he probably said "NO - TELL HIM HE PAY'S FULL F'ING PRICE". Cause that was the message you told Sammy to give them - if you still are in touch, you should ask her about it.<br /> <br /> LOL. It still laugh when I hear the song.<br /> <br /> FWIW - I have video footage of both Zombie Zoo and The Crypt. This is your ex-roommate Mike, the one you had thrown in jail for passing counterfeit money in your club - and I couldn't say where I got it, because it was from none other than WREX and he had a jacket full of it and his car was loaded up with it too - he worked at kinkos and was cranking it out on the copiers ;) He gave me a bill and told me to go get him and steph some beers. lol. Ah, the good old days hey? I'll find you some day ;)
@mikehell Why should he have given you free tix?