"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.
She's been down and out
She's been wrote about
She's been talked about constantly
She's been up and down
She's been pushed around
But they held her down, N-Y-C
She has no regrets
She accepts the past
All these things they helped make to make she
She's been lost and found
And she's still around
There's a reason for everything, yeah
You know I've been holdin' on
Try to make me weak
But I still stay strong (yeah)
Put my life all up in these songs
Just so you can feel me
So you can get the real me
So take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing at all (nothing at all)
Just take me as I am
Or have nothing at all (at all)
Yes, she's older now
Yes, she's wiser now
Can't disguise her now
She don't need
No one tellin' her
What to do and say
No one tellin' her
Who to be
She's on solid ground
She's been lost and found
Now she answers to G-O-D
And she's confident
This is not the end
Ask me how I know
'Cause she is me
You know I've been holdin' on (I've been holdin' on)
Tried to make me weak
But I still stay strong (stay strong)
Put my life all up in these songs
Just so you can feel me
So you can get the real me
So take me as I am
Or have nothing at all (nothing at all, at all)
Just take me as I am (as I am)
Or have nothing at all (or nothing, baby)
This is me, this is me
So it's all or nothing at all
All or nothing at all
Don't you know I can only be me
I can only be me (yeah)
I can only be me
So it's all or nothing at all (ooh)
All or nothing at all
Don't you know I can only be me
(I can only be me, yeah)
So take me as I am (take me)
Or have nothing at all
(I can only be, yeah)
Just take me as I am
(I can only be, yeah, so take me)
Or have nothing at all (at all)
(Take me as I am or have nothing at all)
Take me as I am (take me)
Take me as I am
Said it's all or nothing at all
Said it's all or nothing at all
Just take me as I am (oh, yeah)
Or have nothing at all
(Or nothing, baby, this is me, this is me)
Just take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing, nothing at all (take me as I am)
Just take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing, nothing at all (take me as I am)
She's been wrote about
She's been talked about constantly
She's been up and down
She's been pushed around
But they held her down, N-Y-C
She has no regrets
She accepts the past
All these things they helped make to make she
She's been lost and found
And she's still around
There's a reason for everything, yeah
You know I've been holdin' on
Try to make me weak
But I still stay strong (yeah)
Put my life all up in these songs
Just so you can feel me
So you can get the real me
So take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing at all (nothing at all)
Just take me as I am
Or have nothing at all (at all)
Yes, she's older now
Yes, she's wiser now
Can't disguise her now
She don't need
No one tellin' her
What to do and say
No one tellin' her
Who to be
She's on solid ground
She's been lost and found
Now she answers to G-O-D
And she's confident
This is not the end
Ask me how I know
'Cause she is me
You know I've been holdin' on (I've been holdin' on)
Tried to make me weak
But I still stay strong (stay strong)
Put my life all up in these songs
Just so you can feel me
So you can get the real me
So take me as I am
Or have nothing at all (nothing at all, at all)
Just take me as I am (as I am)
Or have nothing at all (or nothing, baby)
This is me, this is me
So it's all or nothing at all
All or nothing at all
Don't you know I can only be me
I can only be me (yeah)
I can only be me
So it's all or nothing at all (ooh)
All or nothing at all
Don't you know I can only be me
(I can only be me, yeah)
So take me as I am (take me)
Or have nothing at all
(I can only be, yeah)
Just take me as I am
(I can only be, yeah, so take me)
Or have nothing at all (at all)
(Take me as I am or have nothing at all)
Take me as I am (take me)
Take me as I am
Said it's all or nothing at all
Said it's all or nothing at all
Just take me as I am (oh, yeah)
Or have nothing at all
(Or nothing, baby, this is me, this is me)
Just take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing, nothing at all (take me as I am)
Just take me as I am (take me as I am)
Or have nothing, nothing at all (take me as I am)
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
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"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
American Town
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Obvious meaning. Stick it up your cute lil' backside and sit down hard 'cause I like who I am and ain't nobody (especiall YOU) gonna bring me down!
Give me a reason to think positive. Silence. Always silence when it comes to production.