"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.
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in the summertime
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in the summertime
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in summertime
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the, I was following the
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in the summertime
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in the summertime
I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow
And I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red
As strawberries in summertime
Lyrics submitted by brasky09, edited by peyton1085, Jake2825, Catzzz
White Winter Hymnal Lyrics as written by Robin Noel Pecknold
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
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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.
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@Icebug A young boy in middle school who's friends were picking on him one day is sinister? No insult intended here but as I read through these interpretations I am appalled by what I am reading. Very violent, twisted, sick & bloody interpretations, no one saw this as innocent at all. What kind of a world are we giving to our children with all the violent media, games, music etc.. They tell us it's only a game, a movie, music and has no effect on our children. Due to the type of site this is I would gather the commenters are young, from the interpretations I would judge teenagers. Here's your proof of the damage being done to our children by all the violent media. very sad statement on the culture in the US. Seems like NOBODY bothered to LOOK IT UP and see if the SONG WRITER shared anything about the meaning of HIS SONG! I think I read ONE person share something even close to what the song really means. The others are simply sad, degenerate kind of thinking. Anything from guillotines, Marie Antoinette, The French Revolution, Soldiers in battle who had their throats slit etc.. The songwriter said simply the melody is based on the Disney song Whistle While You Work and it was just about being picked on in mile school. He said most of his songs were written from personal experience. Sinister? LOL!