"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.
It feels like I only go backwards, lately
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
And we'll be screamin' out no rules, no rules
Feel the energy we go through, I told you
Pump my fist like I'm supposed to, I showed you
My vision of the unsocial, it's so cool
Look around me and you'll see the scene, who to blame?
See my generation has no shame, I play the game
How I see it this is inside the future, this is nothin' that you're used to
I refuse to play the victim, my religion is to move ya
Out your power position, my army head-on collision
Can't harm me out of my own skin, government need assistance
Every time that I zone in, nothing is more convincin'
Than tellin' you that I won't bend, break or fake partition
I can't, this is my life design, this is me taking minds
This is what I live for, this is me takin' yours
This is more than C4, this is what happens when
We ready to build and destroy, I hope that you enjoy
It feels like I only go backwards, lately
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
I live my life a rebel, a vigilante, devils try to get at me
Pedal through this underworld, undertakers won't catch me
System ain't no system for justice if you would ask me
I'll tell you everything is corrupted, don't you walk past me
With the condescended look I can tell you're pretendin'
Like you my friends and you just a henchman, I feel relentless
I feel the tension in the air thick enough to cut through it
Or cut you with it I'm cut from a cloth that bred a nuisance
Trespass on your property I am properly aimin' to go against ya democracy
This is me changing faces
'Cause I can stand alone and die alone as long as I got pride
The victory of fight is all in my eyes
The night is young and I can see your demise, I'm waitin' for it
You can't ignore it, you live dormant, I die enormous
Big as the lies you tell I can tell you feel defeated
The truth will set you free and to me that's the only reason, capisce?
It feels like I only go backwards, lately
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
And we'll be screamin' out no rules, no rules
Feel the energy we go through, I told you
Pump my fist like I'm supposed to, I showed you
My vision of the unsocial, it's so cool
Look around me and you'll see the scene, who to blame?
See my generation has no shame, I play the game
How I see it this is inside the future, this is nothin' that you're used to
I refuse to play the victim, my religion is to move ya
Out your power position, my army head-on collision
Can't harm me out of my own skin, government need assistance
Every time that I zone in, nothing is more convincin'
Than tellin' you that I won't bend, break or fake partition
I can't, this is my life design, this is me taking minds
This is what I live for, this is me takin' yours
This is more than C4, this is what happens when
We ready to build and destroy, I hope that you enjoy
It feels like I only go backwards, lately
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
I live my life a rebel, a vigilante, devils try to get at me
Pedal through this underworld, undertakers won't catch me
System ain't no system for justice if you would ask me
I'll tell you everything is corrupted, don't you walk past me
With the condescended look I can tell you're pretendin'
Like you my friends and you just a henchman, I feel relentless
I feel the tension in the air thick enough to cut through it
Or cut you with it I'm cut from a cloth that bred a nuisance
Trespass on your property I am properly aimin' to go against ya democracy
This is me changing faces
'Cause I can stand alone and die alone as long as I got pride
The victory of fight is all in my eyes
The night is young and I can see your demise, I'm waitin' for it
You can't ignore it, you live dormant, I die enormous
Big as the lies you tell I can tell you feel defeated
The truth will set you free and to me that's the only reason, capisce?
It feels like I only go backwards, lately
Every part of me says go ahead
I got my hopes up again, oh no, not again
Feels like we only go backwards darling
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Backwards Lyrics as written by Kevin Parker Kendrick Lamar
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.