"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.
Another town another school
A new trailer park
I could burn these books alive
I am freaking out
I left my friends in the sun
Behind the graveyard with a jar of rum
And I left Joanne in the shade
What do I know about love anyway
Another year another inch
I will be tall enough
And if he hits you again
I will be your man I will put him out
You don't need to cut your life
On these razor blades or these kitchen knives
You are beautiful and I packed the Chevrolet
I hear Pittsburgh's better than this town anyway
When your heart is broke, when your eyes are wet
You go...
Let's go today
A new trailer park
I could burn these books alive
I am freaking out
I left my friends in the sun
Behind the graveyard with a jar of rum
And I left Joanne in the shade
What do I know about love anyway
Another year another inch
I will be tall enough
And if he hits you again
I will be your man I will put him out
You don't need to cut your life
On these razor blades or these kitchen knives
You are beautiful and I packed the Chevrolet
I hear Pittsburgh's better than this town anyway
When your heart is broke, when your eyes are wet
You go...
Let's go today
Lyrics submitted by FiendAngelical
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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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
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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.
At first I thought that he was singing from the perspective of a friend of a person he loved, who had an abusive partner, and wanted to whisk them away from the horrible situation, but then my wife said she was sure it was him singing about his mother.
Lyrics such as "another inch I will be tall enough" could refer to him being old enough to protect his mother from his father, and "another town, another school, a new trailer park" could be their family constantly moving from town to town, starting anew.
What ever it is, it's one of his most moving and beautiful songs, and it still resonates with me every time I hear it, and was even played by my good friend at my wedding, despite it's somber tone.
It is pretty obvious what this song is about, a child whose mother is in an abusive relationship. Stumbled across Sean Rowe in London playing after-hours in a small record shop that was a pop-up bar/cafe, great acoustic set and he seemed destined for bigger venues.