"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.
Whenever I get to feel this way
Try to find new words to say
I think about the bad old days
We used to know
Nights of winter turn me cold
Fears of dying, getting old
We ran the race, the race was won
By running slowly
Could be soon we'll cease to sound
Slowly upstairs, faster down
Then to revisit stony grounds
We used to know
Remembering mornings, shillings spent
Made no sense to leave the bed
The bad old days they came and went
Giving way to fruitful years
Saving up the birds in hand
While in the bush the others land
Take what we can before the man
Says it's time to go
Each to his own way I'll go mine
Best of luck with what you find
But for your own sake remember times
We used to know
Try to find new words to say
I think about the bad old days
We used to know
Nights of winter turn me cold
Fears of dying, getting old
We ran the race, the race was won
By running slowly
Could be soon we'll cease to sound
Slowly upstairs, faster down
Then to revisit stony grounds
We used to know
Remembering mornings, shillings spent
Made no sense to leave the bed
The bad old days they came and went
Giving way to fruitful years
Saving up the birds in hand
While in the bush the others land
Take what we can before the man
Says it's time to go
Each to his own way I'll go mine
Best of luck with what you find
But for your own sake remember times
We used to know
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I don't think there's much question that this is something of a biographical song about Tull itself, but in a larger sense I see it as a general, slightly wistful nostalgic observation - looking back on how things were when you were young and struggling, just barely getting by, looking desperately for your first break, hoping that things would get better someday -- but not really appreciating that in some ways those times had a happiness that later success would never recapture.
Thematically, I couple this song with The Chequered Flag and more recently as I am in my "golden years" with At Last, Finally as something of a life trilogy. Yeah, I know I'm weird.