"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.
Her body moves like a river
But her fingers taste like fire
She holds the hand of the devil and thinks she's free
She knows the hands of the devil
'Cos she lost her key to heaven
But I found her heart beat rhythm deep inside
Oh, we're on fire
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
Her sould is stripped like wire
Strung out on old desire
I'll have her back in my arms and set her free
These voices sound like choirs
But there's only one that I hear
Her voice it sounds so clear and she's here with me
Oh, we're on fire
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
And when she radiates her face reflects into my eyes
I'll always understand her deep inside
She takes me higher to the moment when I lose my mind
She'll always understand me deep inside
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
Oh, we're on fire
But her fingers taste like fire
She holds the hand of the devil and thinks she's free
She knows the hands of the devil
'Cos she lost her key to heaven
But I found her heart beat rhythm deep inside
Oh, we're on fire
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
Her sould is stripped like wire
Strung out on old desire
I'll have her back in my arms and set her free
These voices sound like choirs
But there's only one that I hear
Her voice it sounds so clear and she's here with me
Oh, we're on fire
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
And when she radiates her face reflects into my eyes
I'll always understand her deep inside
She takes me higher to the moment when I lose my mind
She'll always understand me deep inside
We're on fire
Hold me close to you
Let me see right through
Oh, we're on fire
Lyrics submitted by sarahsitus23
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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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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