"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.
I'm living in a perfect world
Embedded in a perfect game
Can't get enough of all this stuff
But everything is quite the same
And all the cigarettes and pills
All the visions, all the thrills
They seem to come second hand
I wonder if you understand
The mirror is a brilliant place
To lose myself within a maze
They moved the moon when I looked down
And then they turned the stars around
I try to speak but what's the use
Instead I scream, I'm so confused
And when I tried to touch your face
You disappeared without a trace
Just see me through
And please believe me what I'm telling you
(you disappeared without a trace)
Don't bring me down
I'm standing naked here in front of you
Just when I tried to touch your face
Just come on here
What do you think that I can do for you
I might have lied so many times before
But this time I'll be true
These days are fast, they seem like glass
They rushing in and then they pass
They have no value anymore
They seem like clones or metaphors
And honesty is what we hate
It's what we're trying to escape
I wash my hands a million times
Like Pilate when he did his crimes
When we are young we're wild and free
When we get old we're history
I struggled hard to fit the mold
I hope I die before you're old
It doesn't matter what we gain
When all our does or dies are in vain
And when the music fades away
Our memories just go astray
Just see me through
And please believe me what I'm telling you
(and when the music fades away)
Don't bring me down
I'm standing naked here in front of you
(your memories just go astray)
Just come on here
What do you think that I can do for you
I might have lied so many times before
But this time I'll be true
Embedded in a perfect game
Can't get enough of all this stuff
But everything is quite the same
And all the cigarettes and pills
All the visions, all the thrills
They seem to come second hand
I wonder if you understand
The mirror is a brilliant place
To lose myself within a maze
They moved the moon when I looked down
And then they turned the stars around
I try to speak but what's the use
Instead I scream, I'm so confused
And when I tried to touch your face
You disappeared without a trace
Just see me through
And please believe me what I'm telling you
(you disappeared without a trace)
Don't bring me down
I'm standing naked here in front of you
Just when I tried to touch your face
Just come on here
What do you think that I can do for you
I might have lied so many times before
But this time I'll be true
These days are fast, they seem like glass
They rushing in and then they pass
They have no value anymore
They seem like clones or metaphors
And honesty is what we hate
It's what we're trying to escape
I wash my hands a million times
Like Pilate when he did his crimes
When we are young we're wild and free
When we get old we're history
I struggled hard to fit the mold
I hope I die before you're old
It doesn't matter what we gain
When all our does or dies are in vain
And when the music fades away
Our memories just go astray
Just see me through
And please believe me what I'm telling you
(and when the music fades away)
Don't bring me down
I'm standing naked here in front of you
(your memories just go astray)
Just come on here
What do you think that I can do for you
I might have lied so many times before
But this time I'll be true
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by dmwater
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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"'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/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.