"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.
When everythings coming up roses
The thorns will still leave scars on my hands
Just pour me a scotch and a soda
I'll get drunk and I'll act like a man
I gotta get some of that magic
I hear the voices calling
A song I dare not trust
And all my sleepless dreaming
It all turns into dust
I stopped all the screaming and crying
And yet I still don't understand
When all that you live for is dying
An hourglass empty of sand
I gotta be someone less tragic
I hear the wind is calling
A song I dare not trust
And all my sleepless dreaming
It all turns into dust
In lifeless shadows dreaming
My life is left un-feeling
And yet beyong this door
There must be more
My freedoms become too expensive
The price is much more than you see
But freedom creates an illusion
The freedom to save me from me
I gotta get some of that magic
I hear the voices calling
The thorns will still leave scars on my hands
Just pour me a scotch and a soda
I'll get drunk and I'll act like a man
I gotta get some of that magic
I hear the voices calling
A song I dare not trust
And all my sleepless dreaming
It all turns into dust
I stopped all the screaming and crying
And yet I still don't understand
When all that you live for is dying
An hourglass empty of sand
I gotta be someone less tragic
I hear the wind is calling
A song I dare not trust
And all my sleepless dreaming
It all turns into dust
In lifeless shadows dreaming
My life is left un-feeling
And yet beyong this door
There must be more
My freedoms become too expensive
The price is much more than you see
But freedom creates an illusion
The freedom to save me from me
I gotta get some of that magic
I hear the voices calling
Lyrics submitted by ruben
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
A bit confusing and odd, it seems to portray a struggle with inner demons, disillusionment, and the constant search for meaning and fulfillment in life. It suggests a longing for something more and a yearning for a sense of purpose. The character in the song longs for a better way of life and to become a man but all his efforts seemingly go nowhere and leave him still stuck with voices he knows not to trust or he'll be further cast astray. It serves as an example of how people down on their luck, through some bad decisions, got stuck in life and are trying to better themselves but progress is slow and seemingly pointless. A cautionary tale to make better decisions in life.