"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.
In the lonely night
In the blinking stardust of a pale blue light
You're comin' through to me in black and white
When we were made of dreams
You're blowing down the shaky street
You're hearing my heart beat
In the record breaking heat
Where we were born in time
Not one more night, not one more kiss
Not this time baby, no more of this
Takes too much skill, takes too much will
It's revealing
You came, you saw, just like the law
You married young, just like your ma
You tried and tried, you made me slide
You left me reelin' with this feelin'
On the rising curve
Where the ways of nature will test every nerve
You won't get anything you don't deserve
Where we were born in time
You pressed me once, you pressed me twice
You hang the flame, you'll pay the price
Oh babe, that fire
Is still smokin'
You were snow, you were rain
You were striped, you were plain
Oh babe, truer words
Have not been spoken or broken
In the hills of mystery
In the foggy web of destiny
You can have what's left of me
Where we were born in time
In the blinking stardust of a pale blue light
You're comin' through to me in black and white
When we were made of dreams
You're blowing down the shaky street
You're hearing my heart beat
In the record breaking heat
Where we were born in time
Not one more night, not one more kiss
Not this time baby, no more of this
Takes too much skill, takes too much will
It's revealing
You came, you saw, just like the law
You married young, just like your ma
You tried and tried, you made me slide
You left me reelin' with this feelin'
On the rising curve
Where the ways of nature will test every nerve
You won't get anything you don't deserve
Where we were born in time
You pressed me once, you pressed me twice
You hang the flame, you'll pay the price
Oh babe, that fire
Is still smokin'
You were snow, you were rain
You were striped, you were plain
Oh babe, truer words
Have not been spoken or broken
In the hills of mystery
In the foggy web of destiny
You can have what's left of me
Where we were born in time
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I love the 'Tell Tale Signs' version!! Haven't even heard the version from 'Under a Red Sky'.