"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.
People tell me to be cautious
People tell me not to lose my self control
People tell me to be flawless
People tell me not to let myself evolve
And I think I don't really get it
I think it's all just a peculiar game
And soon I'll wake up and I'll forget it
And everyone will know me by a different name
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
I held my breath every time
I tried to keep myself dry
But did I ask too much?
If I could do it again
Would you believe what I said
That I still want that rush
And I think I don't really get it
I think it's all just a peculiar game
And soon I'll wake up and I'll forget it
And everyone will know me by a different name
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
I want to be strong for you, oh
(Love me like you want me to, like you want me to)
I want be strong for you
(Love me like you want me to)
I want be strong for you
And I can, yes I can
If only you could promise that you will try too
I'll be there, I'll be there
I want to be strong for you
If only you could promise that you will try too
I'll be there, I'll be there
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
People tell me not to lose my self control
People tell me to be flawless
People tell me not to let myself evolve
And I think I don't really get it
I think it's all just a peculiar game
And soon I'll wake up and I'll forget it
And everyone will know me by a different name
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
I held my breath every time
I tried to keep myself dry
But did I ask too much?
If I could do it again
Would you believe what I said
That I still want that rush
And I think I don't really get it
I think it's all just a peculiar game
And soon I'll wake up and I'll forget it
And everyone will know me by a different name
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
I want to be strong for you, oh
(Love me like you want me to, like you want me to)
I want be strong for you
(Love me like you want me to)
I want be strong for you
And I can, yes I can
If only you could promise that you will try too
I'll be there, I'll be there
I want to be strong for you
If only you could promise that you will try too
I'll be there, I'll be there
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
I wanted to be stronger
I wanted to be everything for you
If I could be stronger would you believe
That I could love you like you want me to?
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
Love me like you want me to
Like you want me to
Lyrics submitted by PeterLewis
Stronger Lyrics as written by Grace Chatto Jack Patterson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
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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."
Gentle Hour
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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,
Page
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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.
I think this is from the perspective of someone who had the chance of love with someone but was either too scared to admit it to them or was scared to love them in general. The first stanza consists of the things they thought they had to do in order to love:
People tell me to be cautious (Don't have a lot of trust for someone)
People tell me not to lose my self-control (Don't be that passionate)
People tell me to be flawless (You have to look and act perfect or else no one will want you)
People tell me not to let myself evolve (Don't let love change you [for the better])
And they're looking back on it and realizing how much of a game that is,and they don't understand it at all now. When they say people will know them by a "different name",I think they're talking about a kind of person who is confident in love and loves openly.
They never used to,holding their breath to the words 'I love you' and not getting wet from [I'm guessing] the 'rain',as in the severity of being in love. They realize that that's asking a lot from your own emotions and well-being,and they wonder if the person they fell for would believe that they DO love them,due to not making it clear/known.
Eventually,they realize they can love,and they tell the other person to love them like they want to,as they'll reciprocate it with certainty now. It's really encouraging,and empowering,and always fun to listen to. :)