"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.
Twenty-one years and you answer the call
Hollywood screams from your bedroom wall
You can't get away from the thrill of it all
[Chorus]
Bye-bye baby
Get me out of here I'm done
A girl gone crazy
You ain't foolin' anyone
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
Come on down and walk the moonlit mile
You've got the perfect teeth
You've got the perfect smile
You do it all wrong but you do it in style
Oh yeah
[Chorus]
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
You can't read can't write gotta learn how to fight
You're a bad actress
You're too cold too old and the story's been told bout
The bad actress
[Chorus]
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
You can't read can't write gotta learn how to fight
You're a bad actress
You're too cold too old and the story's been told bout
The the bad actress
Oh Yeah
Bad actress
Oh
Bad actress
No good
Bad actress
Too bad
Ah what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?
Hollywood screams from your bedroom wall
You can't get away from the thrill of it all
[Chorus]
Bye-bye baby
Get me out of here I'm done
A girl gone crazy
You ain't foolin' anyone
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
Come on down and walk the moonlit mile
You've got the perfect teeth
You've got the perfect smile
You do it all wrong but you do it in style
Oh yeah
[Chorus]
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
You can't read can't write gotta learn how to fight
You're a bad actress
You're too cold too old and the story's been told bout
The bad actress
[Chorus]
You can't sing can't dance
Can't fit in your pants
You're a bad actress
You can't run can't walk gotta learn how to talk
You're a bad actress
You can't read can't write gotta learn how to fight
You're a bad actress
You're too cold too old and the story's been told bout
The the bad actress
Oh Yeah
Bad actress
Oh
Bad actress
No good
Bad actress
Too bad
Ah what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Bad Actress Lyrics as written by Joseph Elliott
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.