"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.
I heard you on the wireless back in '52
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through
(Oh-a-oh)
They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine on new technology
And now I understand the problems you can see
(Oh-a-oh)
I met your children
(Oh, a, oh)
What did you tell them?
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
Pictures came and broke your heart
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
And now we meet in an abandoned studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
And you remember the jingles used to go
(Oh-a-oh)
You were the first one
(Oh-a-oh)
You were the last one
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone too far
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone too far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Put the blame on VCR
You are a radio star
You are a radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh)
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through
(Oh-a-oh)
They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine on new technology
And now I understand the problems you can see
(Oh-a-oh)
I met your children
(Oh, a, oh)
What did you tell them?
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
Pictures came and broke your heart
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
And now we meet in an abandoned studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
And you remember the jingles used to go
(Oh-a-oh)
You were the first one
(Oh-a-oh)
You were the last one
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone too far
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
(Oh-a-a-a-oh)
(Video killed the radio star)
(Video killed the radio star)
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone too far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Put the blame on VCR
You are a radio star
You are a radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star) video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh, oh-a-oh)
(Oh-a-oh)
Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21
Video Killed the Radio Star Lyrics as written by Trevor Charles Horn Geoffrey Downes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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.
Page
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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.
Uh, no aabener.
Trust me, I've interviewed one of the guys from the Buggles (yes, I am that old, lol!) and hence got it straight from the horse's mouth.