"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.
Little red bird under a chair
Waiting for the crumbs to fall
Daddy said "Get a job"
Well don't you see, Daddy, how good I am at catching crumbs?
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
General Custer, it's said
Overestimated his abilities to win
Sitting Bull turned the table on him
A comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Little red bird
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
A comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Goodbye
Comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
Comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
If there was a place hidden in the stars
Reflectin' on heaven's graces
If God had an honest face
A troubled expression would be watching the human race
Waiting for the crumbs to fall
Daddy said "Get a job"
Well don't you see, Daddy, how good I am at catching crumbs?
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
General Custer, it's said
Overestimated his abilities to win
Sitting Bull turned the table on him
A comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Little red bird
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
A comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Goodbye
Comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
Guns and gods and little red birds
Guns and gods and little red birds
Comfort to count the battles won after the war is lost
If there was a place hidden in the stars
Reflectin' on heaven's graces
If God had an honest face
A troubled expression would be watching the human race
Lyrics submitted by T_D_Phoenix, edited by iankuhn
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Good interpretation, Pittsburgh1028. I was at the Dave and Tim Reynolds show in Vegas when they played it live for the first time. Dave said he was on vacation with his family and everyday they saw the same red bird. It only had one leg and would awkwardly hop around and sit and wait for crumbs. Obviously the song has a deeper meaning than just that, but that was what inspired the song.