"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 live alone within a shell
But when I'm here I'm under a spell
The anonymous touch as a face in a crowd
The place is dark, the music loud
I push to the front, I'm out of my seat
I've been brought to my feet
Turn me inside out, bring the outside in
Spin me round and round again
Entertain me, it will brain me
Feeling better, come together
Entertain me, activate me
I'm defenseless, flood my senses
Run the circus, through my mind
In this temple made divine, have me blessed
The adrenalin surge, caught in the crush
Surrendering the self, I feel the rush
Turn me inside out, turn my outside in
Spin me round and round again
Entertain me, it will brain me
Feeling better, come together
Entertain me, activate me
I'm defenseless, flood my senses
It goes through me
It goes through me, I'm possessed
I attest and I believe the communion we receive
have me blessed
Entertain me
But when I'm here I'm under a spell
The anonymous touch as a face in a crowd
The place is dark, the music loud
I push to the front, I'm out of my seat
I've been brought to my feet
Turn me inside out, bring the outside in
Spin me round and round again
Entertain me, it will brain me
Feeling better, come together
Entertain me, activate me
I'm defenseless, flood my senses
Run the circus, through my mind
In this temple made divine, have me blessed
The adrenalin surge, caught in the crush
Surrendering the self, I feel the rush
Turn me inside out, turn my outside in
Spin me round and round again
Entertain me, it will brain me
Feeling better, come together
Entertain me, activate me
I'm defenseless, flood my senses
It goes through me
It goes through me, I'm possessed
I attest and I believe the communion we receive
have me blessed
Entertain me
Lyrics submitted by stonechip
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
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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,
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