"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.
Time to face my own mortality
More in the past than left of future
Make some sense of this absurdity
I've spent much more than I can borrow
And I wonder if I'll ever see
All The Things I want to
I know that there's no guatantee
How fast is my life going now?
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
I'm running out of time I feel I'm caught up in the blaze
We talk and talk of killing time
But it's quietly killing me
It's the fire in which we burn
A rolling silent sea
And I wonder if I'll ever see
All the things I want to
I know that there's no guarantee
(of what will come tomorrow)
How fast is my life going now?
(so strange everything seems)
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
How fast is my life going now?
Caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
How fast is my life going now?
(so strange everything seems)
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds
Years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
How fast is my life going now?
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
More in the past than left of future
Make some sense of this absurdity
I've spent much more than I can borrow
And I wonder if I'll ever see
All The Things I want to
I know that there's no guatantee
How fast is my life going now?
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
I'm running out of time I feel I'm caught up in the blaze
We talk and talk of killing time
But it's quietly killing me
It's the fire in which we burn
A rolling silent sea
And I wonder if I'll ever see
All the things I want to
I know that there's no guarantee
(of what will come tomorrow)
How fast is my life going now?
(so strange everything seems)
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
Revolvong round and round
How fast is my life going now?
Caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
How fast is my life going now?
(so strange everything seems)
I'm caught up in a forest fire, trying to head upwind
Minutes pass like seconds
Years have passed like days
Running out of time I feel I've vanished in a haze
How fast is my life going now?
Minutes pass like seconds, years have passed like days
Lyrics submitted by sokorny
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
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
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/