"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.
I have killed that man I had used to be
I found god and he has looked like me
See my past goes up in flames
And taking along all my false saints
I leave this world behind
I leave a plague what’s called mankind
I live this world behind
Cause there is nothing left to find
In the end it all goes away
Cause this world is founded on decay
A deeper truth becomes this clear:
There is nothing we have got to fear
In that mood I see the day
All will be wiped out by my friend decay
I want to be, I want to see
I want nothing else but to be free
“So why don’t you say now:
Father, please forgive me
For all the sins in my life
For everything that has been in opposition
To your will and your purpose”
“Maybe there are some particular things
That you feel very guilty and distressed about
And you want to say to god right now:
Lord, please forgive me”
In the end it all goes away
Cause this world is founded on decay
A deeper truth becomes this clear:
There is nothing we have got to fear
I found god and he has looked like me
See my past goes up in flames
And taking along all my false saints
I leave this world behind
I leave a plague what’s called mankind
I live this world behind
Cause there is nothing left to find
In the end it all goes away
Cause this world is founded on decay
A deeper truth becomes this clear:
There is nothing we have got to fear
In that mood I see the day
All will be wiped out by my friend decay
I want to be, I want to see
I want nothing else but to be free
“So why don’t you say now:
Father, please forgive me
For all the sins in my life
For everything that has been in opposition
To your will and your purpose”
“Maybe there are some particular things
That you feel very guilty and distressed about
And you want to say to god right now:
Lord, please forgive me”
In the end it all goes away
Cause this world is founded on decay
A deeper truth becomes this clear:
There is nothing we have got to fear
Lyrics submitted by NineBerry
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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