"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.
Angels come to earn their wings
Shield me from the pain I hold so tight
They seem so invisible
The blind can't read without their light
And then the darkness came and cluttered up my kindness game
While everyone said "keep a smile,
And sweep your hurt beneath the tile, and bow to me"
Clipped of wings and forced to fly
All my trust naive weighs me down
And like a child deflected sight
Deaf ears can't hear the killing sounds
Robbed of all my sanity
The norm was mediocrity
And Wise men fell from pedestals
The weak made goblets from their skulls
And came for me
Now, before I go
I'll let you know a secret
Then maybe you'll understand
Staring deep into your soul
I thought could make the torture go
But it seems love never can
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Lost my faith so long ago
The worthy come, the worthy go to sleep
Resting far beyond the lies they keep
On my tongue a thousand tears
A burning hate that reappears in me
So now you turn to me, my friend
Try to make me heed my own words
It doesn't work that way
It comes my time, reach ladders I can't climb
I'll take another way
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Angels come to earn their wings
Where were they when I thought I could fly?
They remain invisible, and
Wonder why we lose our will to fight
Still now the darkness comes
We close the shades, avoid, be numb
But through the cracks beneath the door
It finds a way, becomes it's whore
So lay with me
Away with me
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Shield me from the pain I hold so tight
They seem so invisible
The blind can't read without their light
And then the darkness came and cluttered up my kindness game
While everyone said "keep a smile,
And sweep your hurt beneath the tile, and bow to me"
Clipped of wings and forced to fly
All my trust naive weighs me down
And like a child deflected sight
Deaf ears can't hear the killing sounds
Robbed of all my sanity
The norm was mediocrity
And Wise men fell from pedestals
The weak made goblets from their skulls
And came for me
Now, before I go
I'll let you know a secret
Then maybe you'll understand
Staring deep into your soul
I thought could make the torture go
But it seems love never can
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Lost my faith so long ago
The worthy come, the worthy go to sleep
Resting far beyond the lies they keep
On my tongue a thousand tears
A burning hate that reappears in me
So now you turn to me, my friend
Try to make me heed my own words
It doesn't work that way
It comes my time, reach ladders I can't climb
I'll take another way
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Angels come to earn their wings
Where were they when I thought I could fly?
They remain invisible, and
Wonder why we lose our will to fight
Still now the darkness comes
We close the shades, avoid, be numb
But through the cracks beneath the door
It finds a way, becomes it's whore
So lay with me
Away with me
Free, roll out to the sea
Martyr out of me
As I sail crucified
Bleed, taking of my seed
Kiss me, turn and leave
And then I have to die, goodbye
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
I Have to Die, Goodbye Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © DARK SIDE OF THE BRAIN MUSIC
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.