"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.
Out of troubled sleep
I push aside the sheets
Check my empty inboxes, I wake
Crossing Primrose Hill
The muted phone lies still
No IMs or friend requests await
I've convinced myself it's a good idea
I've convinced myself to stay away from you
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
Staring through the screen, hoping to be seen
You're pushing me to highlight and reveal
My secrets and my schemes; forgotten names and dreams
I need you to remember them for me
I've convinced myself it's a good idea
I've convinced myself to pull away
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
I'm always waiting for love to arrive
I've wasted so much of my time
(These threads)
Wound up and bound together
One day becomes another, now
One more sleepless night
Wound up and bound together
One day into another, now
But I can't break
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
Keeping myself awake night after night
I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting
For you
For you...
For you.
I push aside the sheets
Check my empty inboxes, I wake
Crossing Primrose Hill
The muted phone lies still
No IMs or friend requests await
I've convinced myself it's a good idea
I've convinced myself to stay away from you
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
Staring through the screen, hoping to be seen
You're pushing me to highlight and reveal
My secrets and my schemes; forgotten names and dreams
I need you to remember them for me
I've convinced myself it's a good idea
I've convinced myself to pull away
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
I'm always waiting for love to arrive
I've wasted so much of my time
(These threads)
Wound up and bound together
One day becomes another, now
One more sleepless night
Wound up and bound together
One day into another, now
But I can't break
These threads of blue, green, and red
Tied up inside me, and I can't forget
Those threads you wrote and I read
So full of promise, but all left unsaid
Keeping myself awake night after night
I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting
For you
For you...
For you.
Lyrics submitted by MechanicalLullaby
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
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/
There's a lot of imagery pertaining to internet communication and computers so perhaps this is about a relationship that got so strained that it became long distance, skype and IM only, before fizzling out completely, or maybe it's simply about missing an internet friend that stopped logging in to all their stuff.