"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.
It takes one to know one and you think you know me all too well
But I'm not afraid to tell you that you're delusional
The only person you're fooling is yourself, I hope your rot, FUCK YOU
The inexperienced can't relate
I can tell by your stare that you can see the light
The audience stares back, it confirms your fears
No more excuses from you!
Let's be honest
The only thing worse than being the worst
Is being you
It takes one to know one
And you think you know me all too well
I am nothing like you
I'll hold the mirror and your noose
Get on my fucking level, you bitch.
Topple from your fucking peddle-stool
Life isn't the same through the eyes of a child
Step down from the high-chair.
It takes one to know one and you don't know me at all
A pebble doesn't mean a thing to a meteor in the sky
Get on my fucking level
step down or drop out
But I'm not afraid to tell you that you're delusional
The only person you're fooling is yourself, I hope your rot, FUCK YOU
The inexperienced can't relate
I can tell by your stare that you can see the light
The audience stares back, it confirms your fears
No more excuses from you!
Let's be honest
The only thing worse than being the worst
Is being you
It takes one to know one
And you think you know me all too well
I am nothing like you
I'll hold the mirror and your noose
Get on my fucking level, you bitch.
Topple from your fucking peddle-stool
Life isn't the same through the eyes of a child
Step down from the high-chair.
It takes one to know one and you don't know me at all
A pebble doesn't mean a thing to a meteor in the sky
Get on my fucking level
step down or drop out
Lyrics submitted by TheEndlessSteppe
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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.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
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