"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.
What you got, what you got in your hand
Father said to son
I got the whole world here, Daddy
Between my fingers and my thumb
Well, you take care of it, please
It's the only one
Well, it would take me a lifetime, old man
To undo what you've done
Oh, come on now, boy, think
What would Jesus do?
He'd shake his head like an angry mother spoke the boy
And say 'I did what I could do'
But you take care of it, please
It's the only one you got
And it'd take ten lifetimes, boy
To undo what I've done
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood alone thinking
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
While everything is open, everything is shut down, down, down
Begin to ending is really just a go round and round and round
As I stand here the ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view
What you got, what you got in your hand?
Your secret's safe with me
Well, I found the truth, friend
Let me whisper in your ear
Take good care of it, please
It's the only one there is
Can I twist it, please?
Can I give it just a little twist?
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched that boy disappearing
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
Everything is open, now everything is shut down, down, down
No one is hoping, even if you, even if you're sure
Never know it all, the ground beneath is nothing more than my point of view
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched that boy as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is open and the other hand holds a gun
But everything is open, now is everything coming down, down, down
No one is hoping, even if you, even if you know
You never know it all nothing more, nothing more than my point of view
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
The man stood there twisting
Father said to son
I got the whole world here, Daddy
Between my fingers and my thumb
Well, you take care of it, please
It's the only one
Well, it would take me a lifetime, old man
To undo what you've done
Oh, come on now, boy, think
What would Jesus do?
He'd shake his head like an angry mother spoke the boy
And say 'I did what I could do'
But you take care of it, please
It's the only one you got
And it'd take ten lifetimes, boy
To undo what I've done
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood alone thinking
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
While everything is open, everything is shut down, down, down
Begin to ending is really just a go round and round and round
As I stand here the ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view
What you got, what you got in your hand?
Your secret's safe with me
Well, I found the truth, friend
Let me whisper in your ear
Take good care of it, please
It's the only one there is
Can I twist it, please?
Can I give it just a little twist?
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched that boy disappearing
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
Everything is open, now everything is shut down, down, down
No one is hoping, even if you, even if you're sure
Never know it all, the ground beneath is nothing more than my point of view
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched that boy as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is open and the other hand holds a gun
But everything is open, now is everything coming down, down, down
No one is hoping, even if you, even if you know
You never know it all nothing more, nothing more than my point of view
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
The man stood there twisting
Lyrics submitted by steelphoenix3k
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
i think its about an adult finding a young boy smoking pot as a "way out" i dont know, i could be wrong...but thats just how i see it