"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.
Sitting in a Dixon garden
Wishing that you and I weren’t parting
For the last time
The last time
And I said, why you wanna get married anyway?
That man’s got a family.
Then you say
Couldn’t wait on you forever
Or could I? Guess not.
There’s an awkward silence for the first time
So many years
As I recall, you used to be mine
And not some property of his
And I say, Ah-La, don’t go
Ah-La, stay
Ah-La, don’t go
Don’t go away
Maybe I should apologize
For I treated you so
And I’m so sorry that I left you here
Just wish I could’ve known
And you said
Well you never can tell
And it’s not your fault
See these things just happen when you’re dealing with hands on the clock of a woman
And he treats me fine
Anyways I’m getting older
And she says oh but I still miss sometimes
When the weather’s getting colder, she says
Do say goodbye
I’ll just see you later
She says, don’t make me cry
Cuz it’s enough just to know
That I won’t ever hold you close
And I won’t ever smell your skin
And I know how I’m supposed to feel
Here we go again
Wishing that you and I weren’t parting
For the last time
The last time
And I said, why you wanna get married anyway?
That man’s got a family.
Then you say
Couldn’t wait on you forever
Or could I? Guess not.
There’s an awkward silence for the first time
So many years
As I recall, you used to be mine
And not some property of his
And I say, Ah-La, don’t go
Ah-La, stay
Ah-La, don’t go
Don’t go away
Maybe I should apologize
For I treated you so
And I’m so sorry that I left you here
Just wish I could’ve known
And you said
Well you never can tell
And it’s not your fault
See these things just happen when you’re dealing with hands on the clock of a woman
And he treats me fine
Anyways I’m getting older
And she says oh but I still miss sometimes
When the weather’s getting colder, she says
Do say goodbye
I’ll just see you later
She says, don’t make me cry
Cuz it’s enough just to know
That I won’t ever hold you close
And I won’t ever smell your skin
And I know how I’m supposed to feel
Here we go again
Lyrics submitted by belita
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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,
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.
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.
Damn, I think I just let the girl I love the most slip right out of my fingers, I left her by her house about 3 hrs ago, can't sleep, long story short, we have a long history but we didn't went out or even talk as much as we should, although we have been through many "goodbyes", something has kept us bonded for this last year. last night I saw her kissing a random guy, I don't know if this is it, but i might be watching the end of us right now. When I left her by her house, we talked, but I couldn't even shed one tear. I got home, as a said I couldn't sleep, I tried not to think about it, I failed, and I needed to listen to this song, I cried like a baby. Well done Joe, good song, such a humane song.
Hauntingly beautiful account of reminiscing with someone you loved. She is clearly about to get married and has accepted settling for someone who isn't him. For whatever reason they can't be together and it's painful. Before parting for the final time, they want to stay in the nostalgia for as long as they can.
The simple and sad acceptance is heartbreaking, as they have resigned themselves to being apart.