"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.
He was an artist and a writer
And a poet and a friend
In a man's life he will take a fall
But how low he goes it just depends
He's shooting dope in the men's room
At the station Daly City train
Have you ever seen an angel well I know I have
They'll stay here for a while and then they'll fly away
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I seen him
When he rolled the dice he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I seen him
When he rolled the dice he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Some grown up and some grow old
But what about the kid who never learned the rules
Spent all these years on this earth
When you look back it's just a flicker of time
Jackyl was one of the one's that perished
Yeah, he was one of the one's that was already saved
Through all this evil and wreckage, yeah
He maintained a sense of himself, yeah
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Take it Some men are in prison even though They walk the streets at night
Other men who got the lock down Are free as a bird in flight
How about the hourIn the system that ended
In a one-way line Our measures could not stand it
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being him
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being him
And a poet and a friend
In a man's life he will take a fall
But how low he goes it just depends
He's shooting dope in the men's room
At the station Daly City train
Have you ever seen an angel well I know I have
They'll stay here for a while and then they'll fly away
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I seen him
When he rolled the dice he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I seen him
When he rolled the dice he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Some grown up and some grow old
But what about the kid who never learned the rules
Spent all these years on this earth
When you look back it's just a flicker of time
Jackyl was one of the one's that perished
Yeah, he was one of the one's that was already saved
Through all this evil and wreckage, yeah
He maintained a sense of himself, yeah
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being
Take it Some men are in prison even though They walk the streets at night
Other men who got the lock down Are free as a bird in flight
How about the hourIn the system that ended
In a one-way line Our measures could not stand it
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being him
Jackyl had a beer in his hand last time I'd seen him
But when he rolled the dice he know he never thought twice
Never thought twice about being him
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
i know its not what the song is about, but it reminds me of a friend i knew, who died. i guess cause of the first line. "He was an artist and a writer And a poet and a friend." he was a heroine addict too, so maybe thats why. anyway, this song, like rancid, kicks ass.