"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.
Stepping off stage and it's time to go
Put some liquor in my glass, let it overflow
I heard about a place that goes way past 2
I'm down if you're down, I'll follow you
Cause you're never too old to live
Like you got no fucks to give
And nobody's saying stop
So dance 'til you drop
Cause this is where the party is
Ragin’ every night, this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
We made it up to the VIP
I got drunk white girls spilling drinks on me
Punishing my face with some gibberish
You got Jäger on your breath like licorice
Keep asking if I want a little swig of this
But I’ll be puffin on this spliff ‘til I choke
Cause after parties, they ain’t no joke
And I don’t think I’m ever going home
Yeah we’re ragin’ every night this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
Ragin’ every night this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
Put some liquor in my glass, let it overflow
I heard about a place that goes way past 2
I'm down if you're down, I'll follow you
Cause you're never too old to live
Like you got no fucks to give
And nobody's saying stop
So dance 'til you drop
Cause this is where the party is
Ragin’ every night, this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
We made it up to the VIP
I got drunk white girls spilling drinks on me
Punishing my face with some gibberish
You got Jäger on your breath like licorice
Keep asking if I want a little swig of this
But I’ll be puffin on this spliff ‘til I choke
Cause after parties, they ain’t no joke
And I don’t think I’m ever going home
Yeah we’re ragin’ every night this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
Ragin’ every night this is the life all right whoa
And I’m feeling so alive and I can't say no
Got my homies by my side and they're always down to ride
Running through the red lights cause these are the fast times
Lyrics submitted by leavemealone22
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.