"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.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
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,
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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
About being there for somebody, somebody who has similar problems and/or fears as you.
It's about becoming an elephant for him/her, to carry the person as far as you can.
Dedication to someone else... sniff
This song contains one of the greatest and saddest lines ever: "Deine Beine tragen dich nicht wie sie sollten So oft gehen die Die noch nicht weg gehen wollten Ich weiß, ich weiß und ich ertrag es nicht."
yeah, these lines are really awesome, h2min! I think the song is about a relationship and she (or him^^) tries very hard to "carry" him, and abides the bad things for both of them but she gets tiered of doing all that,(Ich seh uns beide, du bist längst zu schwer Für meine Arme, aber ich geb dich nicht her ) and she really wants to rescue the relationship but she is not strong enough. She doesn´t want to loose him and wants to carry his problems beyond but can´t do that anymore because she is to weak... or something like that;)
This Song is about Death. Its about dying of people you love, if their legs are not longer able to carry them, you will. And the line
"And in the end of the Way, if I had to I carry you, carry you over the river "
(Und am Ende des Wegs, wenn ich muss Trage ich dich Trag ich dich �ber den Fluss)
The end of the Way means end of life.
Indeed. I have always identified the river ('Fluss') with the river Styx known from Greek mythology.<br /> <br /> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styx