"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 met a girl named Gabrielle
She was dressed in black and young as hell
She took me to her domicile
Invited me to stay a while
She fed me breakfast and fed me wine
And later on we took the time
To explore each other's areas
Run into a language barrier
It can be so frustrating
The way we insist on communicating
But I do not parlez-vous you
I don't speak French
But somehow I've gotten on a good time
Oh! I don't speak French
But there's only one thing on her mind.
Oh I.
Voulez-vous mon ami
Bonsoir, baby
Is all I know how to say right now
But you can bet I'm learning how
'Cos where I'm from the thing to do
Is to paint yourself red, white and blue
How about you?
Can you say you do the same thing too?
I'm just your average yankee
Trapped in a world of French hanky-panky
But I do not parlez-vous you
I don't speak French
But I've got a shit load of Euros
Oh I! I don't speak French
But that doesn't matter to French girls.
Oh I. Come on!
There's a plane on the ground at JFK
For me it waits
To carry me away to you
The things we did
The things we didn't do
Oh Gabrielle
I learnt so much from you
You taught me how to surrender
Instinctual behaviour from a time you don't remember
But thank God the allies crushed the Nazis on the 6th of November
I don't speak French
But somehow I've gotten on a good time
Oh I! I don't speak French
But there's only one thing on her mind.
Oh yeah! I don't speak French
But that doesn't matter to French girls
Oh I! I don't speak French
'Cos it's useless most places in the world.
She was dressed in black and young as hell
She took me to her domicile
Invited me to stay a while
She fed me breakfast and fed me wine
And later on we took the time
To explore each other's areas
Run into a language barrier
It can be so frustrating
The way we insist on communicating
But I do not parlez-vous you
I don't speak French
But somehow I've gotten on a good time
Oh! I don't speak French
But there's only one thing on her mind.
Oh I.
Voulez-vous mon ami
Bonsoir, baby
Is all I know how to say right now
But you can bet I'm learning how
'Cos where I'm from the thing to do
Is to paint yourself red, white and blue
How about you?
Can you say you do the same thing too?
I'm just your average yankee
Trapped in a world of French hanky-panky
But I do not parlez-vous you
I don't speak French
But I've got a shit load of Euros
Oh I! I don't speak French
But that doesn't matter to French girls.
Oh I. Come on!
There's a plane on the ground at JFK
For me it waits
To carry me away to you
The things we did
The things we didn't do
Oh Gabrielle
I learnt so much from you
You taught me how to surrender
Instinctual behaviour from a time you don't remember
But thank God the allies crushed the Nazis on the 6th of November
I don't speak French
But somehow I've gotten on a good time
Oh I! I don't speak French
But there's only one thing on her mind.
Oh yeah! I don't speak French
But that doesn't matter to French girls
Oh I! I don't speak French
'Cos it's useless most places in the world.
Lyrics submitted by Shintaha
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.