"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.
There walked a lonely man,
Silent, mute, the only man
Not knowing how, not knowing why
Was he the sole survivor
Why should he be alive,
Breathing still while others died
And the only question
Why was he the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Wind blew across the sand
He stood alone and he had no plan
And with the last rays of the sun
He screamed aloud, began to run
In his tears he sees his face
I am the end of the human race
When I'm gone there'll be no trace
For I'm the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
One night when years had passed
The skies shook from a fiery blast
And there a starship - safe at last!
To come rescue this survivor
They beckoned him inside
But only man, he would not ride
Instead he found a place to hide
For he's the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Silent, mute, the only man
Not knowing how, not knowing why
Was he the sole survivor
Why should he be alive,
Breathing still while others died
And the only question
Why was he the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Wind blew across the sand
He stood alone and he had no plan
And with the last rays of the sun
He screamed aloud, began to run
In his tears he sees his face
I am the end of the human race
When I'm gone there'll be no trace
For I'm the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
One night when years had passed
The skies shook from a fiery blast
And there a starship - safe at last!
To come rescue this survivor
They beckoned him inside
But only man, he would not ride
Instead he found a place to hide
For he's the sole survivor
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
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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,
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.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
"Sole survivor, cursed with second sight"
I don't think that he has the ability to see into the future. I think that this refers to the fact that he is the last surviving human, and he knows it. So he also knows that no matter what happens humanity will be gone as soon as he dies. That is why he did not get on the ship. It wouldn't change anything if he did, and what use would there be in living as the last of your kind?
Well, I don't agree with that kind of thought, but I assume that is what the "Sole Survivor" was supposed to be thinking.
@AkaiEdge the thing is the blue oyster cult is the cult of aliens who control the future of humanity I think the thing is that they were in control of everything and they are the ones who destroyed all humanity except this one man who has supernatural ability because what can you do when your enemy has ultimate technology but supernatural is greater than that and I think it is like supposed to be cyclical like many things of this nature are thus it actually the story of Adam, but what is the point.
@AkaiEdge the thing is the blue oyster cult is the cult of aliens who control the future of humanity I think the thing is that they were in control of everything and they are the ones who destroyed all humanity except this one man who has supernatural ability because what can you do when your enemy has ultimate technology but supernatural is greater than that and I think it is like supposed to be cyclical like many things of this nature are thus it actually the story of Adam, but what is the point.