"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.
with your name in wet concrete you still aint own the block
let your money counter tick time still gone tock
you could walk around in a hennesey bliss
'n' keep fuckin them bitches that you aint even kiss
you could keep gettin high with them tears in your eyes
'n' tellin yourself you like fuckin them guys
you got mountains of things (get money)
they not high enough to save you when the troops come runnin
'n' your shiny new hummer that aint strong enough
to withstand the bombs they gone drop on us
they got us killin ourselves numbin our brains
they buggin our phones 'n' fannin the flames
we damn near got our hands out beggin for more
forget creepin through the window they walkin through the front door
the mystery aint no mystery at all
think you doin big things (love) they let you ball
like they let our babies die 'n' lock us in cells
like our youth aint got no options it aint hard to tell
it's a war goin on that you thinkin that you safe from
but you like me in the scope of they gun
ghetto birds
here they come
creepin through your window
ghetto birds
here they come
walkin through your font door
tell me where will you go
our minds have been blinded by a twisted system
they got us thinkin if we paid then we different
we're educated to destroy ourselves
to piece by piece dismantle true self
it's no where to run nowhere to hide
even when we askin questions they only tellin lies
my sore eyes weep like the shanandoah flows
lord knows peace of mind is hard to hold
when our people seem resigned to destroying our divine
our warriors and soldiers can't make a front line
what's the point of havin kids if we can't love ourselves?
listen to the innocents they screamin for help
we in full battle but we asleep on the fields
with our hands over our ears like the bullets aint real
I'm so tired of speakin faith into space
hope when the horns cry I can see your face
chorus
so many ways so many courses of action
so many underhanded schemes to break us into fractions
I try laughin just to soothe my sorrows
watch the neighbourhood kids picturin tomorrow
we on borrowed time with borrowed nines
'n' they dope in our pockets on enemy mines
understand I judge no one or they path
I love some true life killers who know I still ask
what you think it'd be like if we were really prepared?
'n' they call me a dreamer say they aint know 'n' aint scared
I stared at this rhyme for days and prayed
on the last night heard at least fifty shots sprayed
then, ghetto birds 'n' screechin sirens
could vomit from the violence bless they soul in calm silence
I'm just tired of the death 'n' folks turnin they cheek
like the conspiracy aint real and we own these streets
chorus
let your money counter tick time still gone tock
you could walk around in a hennesey bliss
'n' keep fuckin them bitches that you aint even kiss
you could keep gettin high with them tears in your eyes
'n' tellin yourself you like fuckin them guys
you got mountains of things (get money)
they not high enough to save you when the troops come runnin
'n' your shiny new hummer that aint strong enough
to withstand the bombs they gone drop on us
they got us killin ourselves numbin our brains
they buggin our phones 'n' fannin the flames
we damn near got our hands out beggin for more
forget creepin through the window they walkin through the front door
the mystery aint no mystery at all
think you doin big things (love) they let you ball
like they let our babies die 'n' lock us in cells
like our youth aint got no options it aint hard to tell
it's a war goin on that you thinkin that you safe from
but you like me in the scope of they gun
ghetto birds
here they come
creepin through your window
ghetto birds
here they come
walkin through your font door
tell me where will you go
our minds have been blinded by a twisted system
they got us thinkin if we paid then we different
we're educated to destroy ourselves
to piece by piece dismantle true self
it's no where to run nowhere to hide
even when we askin questions they only tellin lies
my sore eyes weep like the shanandoah flows
lord knows peace of mind is hard to hold
when our people seem resigned to destroying our divine
our warriors and soldiers can't make a front line
what's the point of havin kids if we can't love ourselves?
listen to the innocents they screamin for help
we in full battle but we asleep on the fields
with our hands over our ears like the bullets aint real
I'm so tired of speakin faith into space
hope when the horns cry I can see your face
chorus
so many ways so many courses of action
so many underhanded schemes to break us into fractions
I try laughin just to soothe my sorrows
watch the neighbourhood kids picturin tomorrow
we on borrowed time with borrowed nines
'n' they dope in our pockets on enemy mines
understand I judge no one or they path
I love some true life killers who know I still ask
what you think it'd be like if we were really prepared?
'n' they call me a dreamer say they aint know 'n' aint scared
I stared at this rhyme for days and prayed
on the last night heard at least fifty shots sprayed
then, ghetto birds 'n' screechin sirens
could vomit from the violence bless they soul in calm silence
I'm just tired of the death 'n' folks turnin they cheek
like the conspiracy aint real and we own these streets
chorus
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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,
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/
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.