"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.
It's a small minded world in the middle of a crowd
The room is fucking dark and the musics loud
Sleeves cut through and they don't say goodbye
But there's no room to run cause the floor is packed tight
A voice shouts loud, "Never Surrender"
A voice in the crowd, "Never Surrender"
A howl in the crowd getting louder and louder
"Never Surrender", "We'll Never Surrender"
Girls in their short skirts are running at the bar
While they're nodding along to Jamie T's bass guitar
It's so fucking hot the walls are dripping sweat
The boys in the corner are fucked off their heads
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Dancing with the rude bois [x2]
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Some boys roll in with their hats pulled down
They ain't from around here, they're not from my town
The lights flicker when the girls start screaming
Hats covered in blood and the boys not breathing
A voice shouts loud, "Never Surrender"
A voice in the crowd, "Never Surrender"
A howl in the crowd getting louder and louder
"Never Surrender", "We'll Never Surrender"
[Bizzle]
Yeah; The Bizzle
Same shit different day but they call them urban soldiers
Lil kids with big revolvers repping post codes on their shoulders
You with no respect for olders, money, guns, range rovers
By then when your game is over mommy crying on the sofa
And that's the way it is, I'm not saying that it's right
But these streets are so fucked you gotta stick with a shank tonight
Pray tomorrow will be alright, try and avoid another fight
But if it's all fuck it
I'll never surrender
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Dancing with the rude bois [x2]
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
The room is fucking dark and the musics loud
Sleeves cut through and they don't say goodbye
But there's no room to run cause the floor is packed tight
A voice shouts loud, "Never Surrender"
A voice in the crowd, "Never Surrender"
A howl in the crowd getting louder and louder
"Never Surrender", "We'll Never Surrender"
Girls in their short skirts are running at the bar
While they're nodding along to Jamie T's bass guitar
It's so fucking hot the walls are dripping sweat
The boys in the corner are fucked off their heads
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Dancing with the rude bois [x2]
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Some boys roll in with their hats pulled down
They ain't from around here, they're not from my town
The lights flicker when the girls start screaming
Hats covered in blood and the boys not breathing
A voice shouts loud, "Never Surrender"
A voice in the crowd, "Never Surrender"
A howl in the crowd getting louder and louder
"Never Surrender", "We'll Never Surrender"
[Bizzle]
Yeah; The Bizzle
Same shit different day but they call them urban soldiers
Lil kids with big revolvers repping post codes on their shoulders
You with no respect for olders, money, guns, range rovers
By then when your game is over mommy crying on the sofa
And that's the way it is, I'm not saying that it's right
But these streets are so fucked you gotta stick with a shank tonight
Pray tomorrow will be alright, try and avoid another fight
But if it's all fuck it
I'll never surrender
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
Dancing with the rude bois [x2]
Staring at the rude bois [x2]
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
This isn't a good cover version, the lyrics have been updated but this has made the chorus out of place. The original by the Ruts highlighted the divisions among youth culture at the time which were happening on a weekly basis, the Gallows version is just about a shooting. Hardly comparable, and I'd agree, it's not really relevant. Except to say that axzion needs to take a chill pill... sounds like the sort of person the original song was highlighting. :)