"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.
Oh, do you like it?
Is it something you see yourself inside?
It's borderline attraction, baby
I think you look better in the neon light
This is something that you can't ignore
Crawling on your bedroom floor
You've been crying
You ain't gonna cry no more
It's over when I say it's over
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
Oh, would you buy it
If I lay it on the table just for you?
It's borderline distraction, honey
Then your friends come over and it kills the mood
This is something that you can't dismiss
A soft touch but a softer kiss
Cause we're lying, honey
You ain't gonna lie through this
It's over when I say it's over
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay (x10)
This is something that you can't ignore
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay (x4)
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
Is it something you see yourself inside?
It's borderline attraction, baby
I think you look better in the neon light
This is something that you can't ignore
Crawling on your bedroom floor
You've been crying
You ain't gonna cry no more
It's over when I say it's over
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
Oh, would you buy it
If I lay it on the table just for you?
It's borderline distraction, honey
Then your friends come over and it kills the mood
This is something that you can't dismiss
A soft touch but a softer kiss
Cause we're lying, honey
You ain't gonna lie through this
It's over when I say it's over
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay (x10)
This is something that you can't ignore
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay (x4)
We only take it when we need to get by
So come on
Get ready, get ready
We only give it when we got to survive
So come on
Get ready, get ready
Wave bye bye, bye bye
Everything is dying
And I feel fine
Lyrics submitted by thoseguiltyeyes
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![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
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/
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
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.
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.