"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.
Oh the story's told been told retold
From the sacred scriptures to the tabloids
All the fuss and fight none above a whisper
The soul of gold the belly of a boy
Well they drew him from the forest
Like they draw blood
Tied him to a tree like St. Sebastian
And he turned his head and let the arrows fly
Through the trees, the trees
The ornamental leaves
Boy cried wolf
Wolf don't come
Wolf within
Boy cried wolf
In the ancient mold they're dancing down
Calling to the moon but it don't answer
And they fell on their knees
and passed the bowl around
And the blood the blood the sacramental blood
Boy cried wolf
Wolf don't come
Wolf within
Boy cried wolf
I am the body I am the stream
I am the wake of everything
They bring me flowers that are myself
Garlands of blood that are myself
Slain the lamb that is himself
Torn reborn the cries of our dismay
Are nothing to the wind but whose to mind
Kings are lifted up and kings are thrown
Lost received retrieved
The human tide
Innocence had its day
Innocence had its day
Innocence innocence
From the sacred scriptures to the tabloids
All the fuss and fight none above a whisper
The soul of gold the belly of a boy
Well they drew him from the forest
Like they draw blood
Tied him to a tree like St. Sebastian
And he turned his head and let the arrows fly
Through the trees, the trees
The ornamental leaves
Boy cried wolf
Wolf don't come
Wolf within
Boy cried wolf
In the ancient mold they're dancing down
Calling to the moon but it don't answer
And they fell on their knees
and passed the bowl around
And the blood the blood the sacramental blood
Boy cried wolf
Wolf don't come
Wolf within
Boy cried wolf
I am the body I am the stream
I am the wake of everything
They bring me flowers that are myself
Garlands of blood that are myself
Slain the lamb that is himself
Torn reborn the cries of our dismay
Are nothing to the wind but whose to mind
Kings are lifted up and kings are thrown
Lost received retrieved
The human tide
Innocence had its day
Innocence had its day
Innocence innocence
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Magical
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
St Sebastian was an officer in the Roman army. The Emperor ordered his execution, and he was stripped naked, tied to a tree, and shot full of arrows. He survived, and a second order had him beaten to death and thrown into a sewer.
Amanda Bynes, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Marie Antoinette, Joan of Arc, Saint Stephen, Jesus Christ… Wolves, all of them! Wolves they say. Wolves you say. Wolves I say! Tear them up and tear them down. Shred and rip and maul and bound about in a dance of reverie!
-Pie
Along with my previous, here is another of my viewpoints.
If innocence had its day, how do we get that back? History, told and retold, of our long fruitless search, often looking to the earth herself. Druidic human sacrifice (legend has it, inspiration for Christmas ornaments, and traditional red and white). Dancing and crying to the moon, flowers and garlands of blood. But the earth is the earth. Powerless, like cries to the wind.
But one image stands out: "Slain the lamb that is himself." (Or as sung Slain is the lamb that is myself / Pray to the lamb that is himself). All before was certainly futile. But this?
It takes me back… To a King lifted, a King thrown: tied to a tree like Saint Sebastian, turned his head willingly, painfully as the points drove in… And the human tide, Lost, now received, finally, finally… retrieved...
-Pie