"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.
All we ever did was move around
I was always the new kid
Never the cool kid
And all I ever wanted to do
Was to fall in love
Just to be in love
But my heart was racing
My mind was screaming
"You've got your whole life to do these things"
But my legs were shaking
My hands were searching
For her in the backseat of my car
I just lost it
And I can't believe it
I knew I was only sixteen
But I thought I loved her
And it'd last forever
But only if I knew
That she wasn't true
How could she do this to me?
My heart was racing
My mind was screaming
"You've got your whole life to do these things"
But my legs were shaking
My hands were searching
For her in the backseat of my car
I just lost it
And I can't believe it
I was always the new kid
Never the cool kid
And all I ever wanted to do
Was to fall in love
Just to be in love
But my heart was racing
My mind was screaming
"You've got your whole life to do these things"
But my legs were shaking
My hands were searching
For her in the backseat of my car
I just lost it
And I can't believe it
I knew I was only sixteen
But I thought I loved her
And it'd last forever
But only if I knew
That she wasn't true
How could she do this to me?
My heart was racing
My mind was screaming
"You've got your whole life to do these things"
But my legs were shaking
My hands were searching
For her in the backseat of my car
I just lost it
And I can't believe it
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
here is what Chris wrote on his blog about what the song is about:
"Here is a little background on the song.
Once up a time...when I was sixteen years old I dated a girl. She was beautiful and very experienced. I was in love about a week and a half into it. Although I had never been in love I was certain. The months rolled on and we grew closer and closer. We shared so many memories and laughs. I had never gotten past first base with a girl before...although; I found myself diving deeper and deeper into the sexual world. Therefore, I grew more attached. About 9 months had past. We had spent so many amazing nights together, told each-other everything to know, and I had lost my virginity to her shortly after the ninth month. I was absolutely certain that I wanted to spend forever in this love trance. But a rude awakening snapped me out of it. One of my closest friends told me that she had slept with one of my "pals" from the tennis team in the last week. I was in disbelief until my "pal" confessed that it was fact. As the days rolled on I found out the truth. She had slept with over 10 people during our relationship. I was mortified and heart-broken for the longest time. From that day forward I wanted to write songs to bring people joy. To help people that were as miserable as I was. The end.
It was a time in my life that I tried to overlook. I had never written a song about that stage; because I tried to forget. "Losing it" is about that point in my journey."
Wow. I don't think I could think of 10 people better than Christofer.<br /> <br /> Stupid girl D:<
BlueSkiesAtMidnight = Swoon.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of good people. He just sounds genuinely like he's one of them.
aww..poor Chris.. tear
that's sad... :( very sad