"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.
Driving down the road you swear you've been before
Day dreaming about the days gone by
Faces and places that you're missing from your life
Disappear like ghosts in the night
You wonder how you made it through your high school days
Trying anything to get you high
Hanging out at the pool hall by the old arcade
Cold beer and fake IDs on Friday night
The song comes on the radio
Something that you used to know
Sounds of familiar sounds so right
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you
Of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
When record stores sold 33s and 45s
Couldn't wait to hold the album in my hand
Before email and the internet
How I stood in line
To buy tickets just to see my favorite band
The rhythm that still gets to you
You have a flash of deja vu
You listen to the soundtrack of your life
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
Yeah!
And we'd climb into the backseat of my Chevrolet
Smoking cigarettes and singing songs
Didn't have a worry, didn't have a care
I wonder where the innocence is gone
The song comes on the radio
Something that you used to know
Sounds so familiar sounds so right
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
Oh!
Let it take you back
Where emotions start to flow
You come to your senses
Because it's only rock and roll
Like a faded photograph
Let it take you back
Yeah!
Let it take you back
Oh, let it take you back
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Do you remember!
Let it take you back
Day dreaming about the days gone by
Faces and places that you're missing from your life
Disappear like ghosts in the night
You wonder how you made it through your high school days
Trying anything to get you high
Hanging out at the pool hall by the old arcade
Cold beer and fake IDs on Friday night
The song comes on the radio
Something that you used to know
Sounds of familiar sounds so right
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you
Of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
When record stores sold 33s and 45s
Couldn't wait to hold the album in my hand
Before email and the internet
How I stood in line
To buy tickets just to see my favorite band
The rhythm that still gets to you
You have a flash of deja vu
You listen to the soundtrack of your life
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
Yeah!
And we'd climb into the backseat of my Chevrolet
Smoking cigarettes and singing songs
Didn't have a worry, didn't have a care
I wonder where the innocence is gone
The song comes on the radio
Something that you used to know
Sounds so familiar sounds so right
Let it take you back
To a simpler place in time
Where the melody reminds you of a love you left behind
Let the music move you
Until you feel like letting letting go
Like a postcard from the past
Let it take you back
Oh!
Let it take you back
Where emotions start to flow
You come to your senses
Because it's only rock and roll
Like a faded photograph
Let it take you back
Yeah!
Let it take you back
Oh, let it take you back
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Do you remember!
Let it take you back
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
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.