"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’m sure that I’m moving to St Louis
Three long years wondering here in New York City
I guess I’m looking for the right way to do this
I guess I’m looking for the right things to call pretty
Young boys playing in the park turning their backs to take a shot
You know I’ll stay sharp around here ‘cause they’re stoning and leaving type
It’s the kind of love that comes and goes when there’s company coming around
What’s a boy to do who knows no man now
What’s a boy to do who knows no man now
Daddy’s been looking down his nose at all of them
And I’ve been looking round for someone to tell me who I am
He kept saying I was too young to finish a fight
I’d die each time they came I never got to draw my knife
Well it was just a pair of shoes in a middle school room with the world watching in
An angel is crying I’m dying just a little inside as they ran away
Funny which words stick around 20 years down when you’re driving alone
What’s a boy to do when there’s no man at home
What’s a boy to do when there’s no man at home
Well I’ll stack all my books into perfect rows
From the biggest down to the smallest ones
And I buy all the perfect clothes
Bullet proof and black, where I look like a son
Well it was just a rainy night at his house
A bottle spinning around the room
And everybody’s singing and slipping down the bottom of a halfway rush of blood
And I was grabbing Missy but I was trying to find the light switch in the dark
What’s a boy to do with no man in his heart
What’s a boy to do with no man in his heart
It’s all quiet for the first time
With no voices left to fall
I saw a boy at the bottom of the bridge
His car was left there on the top
It’s four o’clock in the morning
Didn’t need to be like this
There’s a white sheet left to cover up
What should have been a holy kiss
It’s not like those days
It’s not like I’m scared of you
What’s the son of man and a boy to do
What’s the son of man and a boy to you
Three long years wondering here in New York City
I guess I’m looking for the right way to do this
I guess I’m looking for the right things to call pretty
Young boys playing in the park turning their backs to take a shot
You know I’ll stay sharp around here ‘cause they’re stoning and leaving type
It’s the kind of love that comes and goes when there’s company coming around
What’s a boy to do who knows no man now
What’s a boy to do who knows no man now
Daddy’s been looking down his nose at all of them
And I’ve been looking round for someone to tell me who I am
He kept saying I was too young to finish a fight
I’d die each time they came I never got to draw my knife
Well it was just a pair of shoes in a middle school room with the world watching in
An angel is crying I’m dying just a little inside as they ran away
Funny which words stick around 20 years down when you’re driving alone
What’s a boy to do when there’s no man at home
What’s a boy to do when there’s no man at home
Well I’ll stack all my books into perfect rows
From the biggest down to the smallest ones
And I buy all the perfect clothes
Bullet proof and black, where I look like a son
Well it was just a rainy night at his house
A bottle spinning around the room
And everybody’s singing and slipping down the bottom of a halfway rush of blood
And I was grabbing Missy but I was trying to find the light switch in the dark
What’s a boy to do with no man in his heart
What’s a boy to do with no man in his heart
It’s all quiet for the first time
With no voices left to fall
I saw a boy at the bottom of the bridge
His car was left there on the top
It’s four o’clock in the morning
Didn’t need to be like this
There’s a white sheet left to cover up
What should have been a holy kiss
It’s not like those days
It’s not like I’m scared of you
What’s the son of man and a boy to do
What’s the son of man and a boy to you
Lyrics submitted by New Year's Project
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
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,
Ok so personally I think that this song has to do with two people. Similar stories though. The father isnt there, and the kid suffers from that. Its like " what am I supposed to do when my own father doesn't want me? What am I, a BOY supposed to do when I'm expected to be a man?" like, he never really learned what a man really was. When the father was supposed to listen never cared that he was bullied. He relates to someone in the same situation, that's why he talks about the suicide. Someone with the same problem killed himself. Why not him? What's a boy to do when he was never taught to be a man, and he's forced to deal with these adult problems? He acts like he's a man but he "has no man in his heart" meaning he has no faith in his father and he is not ready to be a man. That's my interpretation. And how could it be about god? Does god's love come and go when company comes? I don't think so. There may be Christian references but I don't believe its all about god.