"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.
"Ev'rybody dance"
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
Sneaking sally through the alley,
Tryin' to keep her from sight.
Sneaking sally through the alley,
My baby caught me last night.
I said, "I can't find nothing wrong with being friends,
'Cause sometimes she lets me use her car."
She said, "if you can't find nothing wrong in your mind,
I know you've gone too far.
Sneaking sally through the alley,
Tryin' to get away clean. (tryin' to get away)
Sneaking sally through the alley,
My baby saw the whole scene.
So I began to try and explain,
But it just wasn't, wasn't much of a thought.
Now I should find me somebody new, (somebody new)
'Cause this man has been caught.
She caught me sneaking with sally through the alley,
Tryin' to get away clean.
Sneaking with sally through the alley,
I know you know what I mean. (what I mean, what I mean)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
I talk double talk,
Anything's trouble talk.
Catching myself in lies.
Mama, just look at me,
Thinking about killing me,
I saw it in her eyes.
(Oh, oh, oh)
She caught me sneaking with sally through the alley,
Tryin' to keep her from sight.
I was sneaking with sally through that alley,
My baby caught me last night.
Well, I was sneaking sally through that alley,
Tryin' to get away clean.
You know, sneaking with sally without knowing,
My baby saw the whole scene.
(Oh, oh, oh)
And you know what happened, man?
She got right up to me one more time,
She said,
"What are you doing in the alley with that sally?"
I said,
"You'll just wait till tomorrow and we'll talk!"
(Sneaking with sally)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
Sneaking sally through the alley,
Tryin' to keep her from sight.
Sneaking sally through the alley,
My baby caught me last night.
I said, "I can't find nothing wrong with being friends,
'Cause sometimes she lets me use her car."
She said, "if you can't find nothing wrong in your mind,
I know you've gone too far.
Sneaking sally through the alley,
Tryin' to get away clean. (tryin' to get away)
Sneaking sally through the alley,
My baby saw the whole scene.
So I began to try and explain,
But it just wasn't, wasn't much of a thought.
Now I should find me somebody new, (somebody new)
'Cause this man has been caught.
She caught me sneaking with sally through the alley,
Tryin' to get away clean.
Sneaking with sally through the alley,
I know you know what I mean. (what I mean, what I mean)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Tryin' to get away)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
(Sneaking sally through the alley, oo, oo, oo)
I talk double talk,
Anything's trouble talk.
Catching myself in lies.
Mama, just look at me,
Thinking about killing me,
I saw it in her eyes.
(Oh, oh, oh)
She caught me sneaking with sally through the alley,
Tryin' to keep her from sight.
I was sneaking with sally through that alley,
My baby caught me last night.
Well, I was sneaking sally through that alley,
Tryin' to get away clean.
You know, sneaking with sally without knowing,
My baby saw the whole scene.
(Oh, oh, oh)
And you know what happened, man?
She got right up to me one more time,
She said,
"What are you doing in the alley with that sally?"
I said,
"You'll just wait till tomorrow and we'll talk!"
(Sneaking with sally)
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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No Surprises
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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.
My understanding is that Mac Rebennack , aka Dr John, wrote the song regarding an incident at his home in the French Quarter. As the story goes his mistress , later to become his second wife , Sally was at his house while his wife, Christina ,was away. His wife came home unexpectedly, and Mac had to sneak Sally down the alley between his house, trying to keep from being caught. When Mac wrote the song, he was still married to Christina, and therefore couldn’t perform the song himself.