"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.
All the boys who called their mothers on that day
Were no tough bunch but they had the nerves to go and say
That all your secrets were drowned
With the pioneers who were flooded from this town
They packed their bags only moments too late
With the pounding waves crashing up against
The weakened water gates
'Cause dire times call for dire faces
So lovely dancer call a dancer
Trade our places in the night
We're running barefoot, you and I
Dead lovers salivate
Broken hearts tessellate tonight
And all the kids who cut their knees on that old schoolyard fence
Were holding out for posterity and self-defense
Before we beat them down again
There's no fun in playing cowboys for pretend
We showed them what the backs of our hands is for
The divide is clear in the coming year
The rich will take the poor
'Cause dire times call for dire faces
So lovely dancer, call a dancer
Trade our places in the night
We're running barefoot, you and I
Dead lovers salivate
Broken hearts tessellate tonight
Were no tough bunch but they had the nerves to go and say
That all your secrets were drowned
With the pioneers who were flooded from this town
They packed their bags only moments too late
With the pounding waves crashing up against
The weakened water gates
'Cause dire times call for dire faces
So lovely dancer call a dancer
Trade our places in the night
We're running barefoot, you and I
Dead lovers salivate
Broken hearts tessellate tonight
And all the kids who cut their knees on that old schoolyard fence
Were holding out for posterity and self-defense
Before we beat them down again
There's no fun in playing cowboys for pretend
We showed them what the backs of our hands is for
The divide is clear in the coming year
The rich will take the poor
'Cause dire times call for dire faces
So lovely dancer, call a dancer
Trade our places in the night
We're running barefoot, you and I
Dead lovers salivate
Broken hearts tessellate tonight
Lyrics submitted by tapes-n-tapes, edited by ghost19
Tessellate Lyrics as written by Graham Fraser Wright David Thomas Monks
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
do you think this has anything to do with hurricane katrina? i guess it's kind of a stretch, but "tesselate" means to form multiple identical shapes, so broken hearts tessellate tonight could mean that there's a lot of them. and then the "weakened water gates" meaning the weak levies (sp.?). and "the divide is clear in the coming year, the rich will take the poor" meaning how the poor people didn't get the help they needed, which was a big issue. i dunno, i just saw some similarities, love some input!