"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.
Lo and behold! Your mother is drinking again
This might be the coldest winter since records began
You were a low moon, steady with wintry calm
Leading the children softly across the farm
Each morning you'd march your sisters like soldiers to school
Cause lo and behold! Your father had drunk all the fuel
You were a low moon, steady with wintry calm
Somewhere inside the fire of your youth went dark
But you swear blind there is no weight in the water pail
You say "My love, you take the cards that you're dealt
Cause there's no guiding light arching a line to Bethlehem
If it's dark outside you light the fire yourself"
Darling when the ice caps melt
When the devil's in the bible belt
Don't cower in your bed
I'll be on the 5:45
You can meet me at the railway line
And don't look so scared
Cause we've been through worse than this before we could talk
The trick of it is, don't be afraid any more
This might be the coldest winter since records began
You were a low moon, steady with wintry calm
Leading the children softly across the farm
Each morning you'd march your sisters like soldiers to school
Cause lo and behold! Your father had drunk all the fuel
You were a low moon, steady with wintry calm
Somewhere inside the fire of your youth went dark
But you swear blind there is no weight in the water pail
You say "My love, you take the cards that you're dealt
Cause there's no guiding light arching a line to Bethlehem
If it's dark outside you light the fire yourself"
Darling when the ice caps melt
When the devil's in the bible belt
Don't cower in your bed
I'll be on the 5:45
You can meet me at the railway line
And don't look so scared
Cause we've been through worse than this before we could talk
The trick of it is, don't be afraid any more
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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/
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.
This song is absolutely beautiful. I'm actually a bit upset that no one actually posted their interpretation of the song. I feel that this song is about a child with two alcoholic parents. This child is now the mother figure to her siblings. She “marches like a solider to school with her sister”, she doesn’t show any emotions. She tells her sister that she must “deal with the cards that are dealt”, because no one can change the life they are forced to live with the poor choices their parents have made. This child is forced to hide emotions, but when she is home, she “cowers in her bed.” Possibly a lover writes this song to this child, because after the story of this girl is laid out, advice is given. "Darling when the ice caps melt....don't be afraid anymore". “’I’ll be on the 5:45, meet me at the railway line” seems to be her invitation to escape her reality.