"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.
When I grow old
And my memory
Leads me deep into the fog where it abandons me
Will you remind me
Of who I used to be
When I was younger?
When I am old
And the hands of time
Have ravaged all the remnants of my fragile mind
Will you still tell me
Of how it used to be
When I was stronger?
If time is cruel
And it takes away
All the recollections of my younger days
Please help me reminisce
Of all these past events
When days were brighter
And years from now
When I can't recall
The faces and the names I used to know so well
Promise you'll help me
Regain those memories
When my load was lighter
When we were young
And the world seemed
Full of nothing else but possibility
I still remember
Blankets of whispers
That said 'Forever'
But if autumn comes
And your love for me
Has withered like the leaves that fall from every tree
Will you lie to me
So I can still believe
That you still love me?
That you still love me?
And my memory
Leads me deep into the fog where it abandons me
Will you remind me
Of who I used to be
When I was younger?
When I am old
And the hands of time
Have ravaged all the remnants of my fragile mind
Will you still tell me
Of how it used to be
When I was stronger?
If time is cruel
And it takes away
All the recollections of my younger days
Please help me reminisce
Of all these past events
When days were brighter
And years from now
When I can't recall
The faces and the names I used to know so well
Promise you'll help me
Regain those memories
When my load was lighter
When we were young
And the world seemed
Full of nothing else but possibility
I still remember
Blankets of whispers
That said 'Forever'
But if autumn comes
And your love for me
Has withered like the leaves that fall from every tree
Will you lie to me
So I can still believe
That you still love me?
That you still love me?
Lyrics submitted by fauxfoxx
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'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."
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,
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/
I can't believe this song doesn't have a comment, it's one of the songs I've heard from A23 that -always- gives me the chills, every time. The final verse is just so sad. As for the meaning, I think it's fairly obvious, a man asking if his lover will have the patience and the love to stay with him even as he grows old and withers.
Agreed, it is one of Tom's best songs, the melancholy is overpowering. It never fails to touch me. I believe he suspects there is a good chance 'she' will fall out of love with him. They have had good times together but his joy is tempered by fear that it will not last (for whatever reason), and the fear of losing his faculties as he ages. Being self-absorbed in his fears, he completely forgets that she will wither and die too.