"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.
Lead me through these cities of imaginary trends
Something's gonna be changing come the morning time my friend
As fickle as these streets are they might not even wait around till then
I've got a lot to loose so come and take it from me quick
Everything you loose if it makes you stronger it makes you sick
Take these cities from me I'll build buildings up with my own
Bare hands
The uppers aren't necessary the guilt is the coal
That keeps the fire burning to drive out the cold
That creeps
In every corner crack and never leaves you alone
Till the lonely
Messengers come calling you back home
The trees are stacked
In rows on the side of the road
Stripped of any dignity a birthing
May have had
100 thousand crucified on the Mojave I-5 line
Singers shepherds and salesmen all longing for someone
To kill the joy of wondering and end all their desire
To help them to remember that the road is nothing but a liar
The uppers aren't necessary the guilt is the coal
That keeps
The fire burning to drive out the cold
That creeps in every
Corner crack and never leaves you alone
'Til the lonely
Messengers come calling you back
To the red door, cracked
And crooked walk way
The fence impaling the stars
Ghostly
Keepers lead the way through railroads of abandoned cars
The tracks and city streets cut through like scars
Something's gonna be changing come the morning time my friend
As fickle as these streets are they might not even wait around till then
I've got a lot to loose so come and take it from me quick
Everything you loose if it makes you stronger it makes you sick
Take these cities from me I'll build buildings up with my own
Bare hands
The uppers aren't necessary the guilt is the coal
That keeps the fire burning to drive out the cold
That creeps
In every corner crack and never leaves you alone
Till the lonely
Messengers come calling you back home
The trees are stacked
In rows on the side of the road
Stripped of any dignity a birthing
May have had
100 thousand crucified on the Mojave I-5 line
Singers shepherds and salesmen all longing for someone
To kill the joy of wondering and end all their desire
To help them to remember that the road is nothing but a liar
The uppers aren't necessary the guilt is the coal
That keeps
The fire burning to drive out the cold
That creeps in every
Corner crack and never leaves you alone
'Til the lonely
Messengers come calling you back
To the red door, cracked
And crooked walk way
The fence impaling the stars
Ghostly
Keepers lead the way through railroads of abandoned cars
The tracks and city streets cut through like scars
Lyrics submitted by SameOldStory, edited by Atlantius, duhpuck
Uppers Aren't Necessary Lyrics as written by Rocky Votolato
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
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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.
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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,
my favorite song, and i'm amazed it's not more popular. it made me want to tattoo a revised version of the lyrics "searching for someone to kill the joy of wandering and end desire, to remind the road is nothing but a gorgeous blue-eyed liar"
that's just like the human struggle for love in my opinion, and also how our thoughts and desires are just an illusion of sorts, but the art of it all is gorgeous.