"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.
You like the smell of blood
When it's pumpin' like a factory
Ooh, you like your words to cut
You like to choose the best artillery
I wonder who you're thinkin' of
Who am I
Am I the epitome
Of everything you hate
And you desire
You love me like an enemy
You can run, you can hide
But sooner or later
It's gonna cut like a knife
Sooner or later
Nowhere to go
I'm already inside
You know
No one'll love ya like I love ya
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
It feels so surgical
How you dissect every mistake I make
You're like an animal
You bite me hard with every breath I take?
And when I'm on the edge?
You won't let me fall
Rope around my neck
But you won't take it off
And I'm hearin' voices sayin'
It's time that you know it
Go ahead if you mean it
Go 'head if you mean it
You can run, you can hide
But sooner or later
It's gonna cut like a knife
Sooner or later
Nowhere to go
I'm already ready
You know
No one'll love ya like I love ya
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
Close your eyes
Count to 10
Take the bullet out again
Say my name
Hit me hard
Put that gun right to my heart
Bang
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
When it's pumpin' like a factory
Ooh, you like your words to cut
You like to choose the best artillery
I wonder who you're thinkin' of
Who am I
Am I the epitome
Of everything you hate
And you desire
You love me like an enemy
You can run, you can hide
But sooner or later
It's gonna cut like a knife
Sooner or later
Nowhere to go
I'm already inside
You know
No one'll love ya like I love ya
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
It feels so surgical
How you dissect every mistake I make
You're like an animal
You bite me hard with every breath I take?
And when I'm on the edge?
You won't let me fall
Rope around my neck
But you won't take it off
And I'm hearin' voices sayin'
It's time that you know it
Go ahead if you mean it
Go 'head if you mean it
You can run, you can hide
But sooner or later
It's gonna cut like a knife
Sooner or later
Nowhere to go
I'm already ready
You know
No one'll love ya like I love ya
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
Close your eyes
Count to 10
Take the bullet out again
Say my name
Hit me hard
Put that gun right to my heart
Bang
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
'Cause love is a suicide
Love is a suicide
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
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