"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.
The Foreign Inadequacy Project was just six months behind
and The League of Divorced Daughters were getting high
in The Empty Room at the top of the stairs
And I’ve been telling myself this is the year I’m going to have to try
to smoke out my impurities
and just fry my insides
Yeah, and hey you, Backseat Lovers
promise me you’ll take care of each other
it’s a rough world you’re living out there
‘Cause Cheap Love Martyrs are lamented but forgotten
Is it a net or a noose that you’re looking for?
The cellar door of the seventh floor?
A lonesome twin bed or Dad with a stroller?
The Glass Club met four times a day
and I tried to teach myself how to lie,
to Cooper-off, to smile, to sleep in my car
and re-learn how to ride my bike
Until the uneasy truce between The Parents Coalition
and the Pink Cup Connection
was broken when The King of Uncomfortable came
and drank everything
and that was me
And they say, “Hey man, I mean
you should just try to take it easy
In a crowded room or out to sea, you’ll succeed”
Yeah, but anymore it comes down to a question of company
A shadow or a ghost I can stabilize?
Her inviting neck or your vacant thighs?
Did I cross The State Line or did I just step outside?
I woke up when I sobered up and spent the morning thinking of you
with your trash bin full of wedding cakes
and ceiling of "Feel Better" balloons
And I thought of The Romantic brooding in his white-washed room
pissing his last best years away
on a Steel Mill Girl who’s the permanent symbol of the
one thing he wishes he could change
So shit
Let’s get dressed up
so we can go out and get fucked up
‘Cause if I can still see straight I’m just wasting my time
Straight through the atmosphere or to my backyard?
Did I sleep with you or did I just dream
that that morning wasn’t one more excuse for you to leave?
A ruse, a mistake, a delusion, a guise?
‘Til her whisper: “Treat me like dirt tonight”
Now the invisible war with the past, now and future me
I should have done something
but all I ever did was sit around and watch everyone doing nothing
and The League of Divorced Daughters were getting high
in The Empty Room at the top of the stairs
And I’ve been telling myself this is the year I’m going to have to try
to smoke out my impurities
and just fry my insides
Yeah, and hey you, Backseat Lovers
promise me you’ll take care of each other
it’s a rough world you’re living out there
‘Cause Cheap Love Martyrs are lamented but forgotten
Is it a net or a noose that you’re looking for?
The cellar door of the seventh floor?
A lonesome twin bed or Dad with a stroller?
The Glass Club met four times a day
and I tried to teach myself how to lie,
to Cooper-off, to smile, to sleep in my car
and re-learn how to ride my bike
Until the uneasy truce between The Parents Coalition
and the Pink Cup Connection
was broken when The King of Uncomfortable came
and drank everything
and that was me
And they say, “Hey man, I mean
you should just try to take it easy
In a crowded room or out to sea, you’ll succeed”
Yeah, but anymore it comes down to a question of company
A shadow or a ghost I can stabilize?
Her inviting neck or your vacant thighs?
Did I cross The State Line or did I just step outside?
I woke up when I sobered up and spent the morning thinking of you
with your trash bin full of wedding cakes
and ceiling of "Feel Better" balloons
And I thought of The Romantic brooding in his white-washed room
pissing his last best years away
on a Steel Mill Girl who’s the permanent symbol of the
one thing he wishes he could change
So shit
Let’s get dressed up
so we can go out and get fucked up
‘Cause if I can still see straight I’m just wasting my time
Straight through the atmosphere or to my backyard?
Did I sleep with you or did I just dream
that that morning wasn’t one more excuse for you to leave?
A ruse, a mistake, a delusion, a guise?
‘Til her whisper: “Treat me like dirt tonight”
Now the invisible war with the past, now and future me
I should have done something
but all I ever did was sit around and watch everyone doing nothing
Lyrics submitted by trustypete
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.