"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.
Oh, so I'm praying all at night
And I wake up praying the whole daylight
I pray to you, and hear my request
I ask of you to save this baby
Oh, look at the girl
Awful inside, is cancer-eaten, is life-deprived,
And if so by who? Could it be you?
I see no need for a baby's wisdom for you
Oh, God, the girl, all yellow turned
Her cheeks are swollen, and soul is burned
Oh, but the girl, the girl is gone
And the deed is done, oh it must be wrong
Oh and I pray, my prayer's not heard
Could it be your death, death to mortal words?
Oh, and see her pain, and drain and drain
Could you be deaf, and blind my friend?
Oh, and so we hold
Cannot you not hear? Cannot you not see?
And if with words
You could change the way things are arranged
Surely you'd be speaking, speaking no change
Oh, but the girl, deaf, dumb, and blind
From the cancer burning deep down inside
Oh, but the deed is done
And the girl is gone
I see no faith
That I have won
Well, you may find your religion
You may find your attraction
You may go, for me the girl is gone
Oh, you may find you're faithful
You may find out the reaction
But to me, the baby's gone
The baby...
Hey... hey...
And I wake up praying the whole daylight
I pray to you, and hear my request
I ask of you to save this baby
Oh, look at the girl
Awful inside, is cancer-eaten, is life-deprived,
And if so by who? Could it be you?
I see no need for a baby's wisdom for you
Oh, God, the girl, all yellow turned
Her cheeks are swollen, and soul is burned
Oh, but the girl, the girl is gone
And the deed is done, oh it must be wrong
Oh and I pray, my prayer's not heard
Could it be your death, death to mortal words?
Oh, and see her pain, and drain and drain
Could you be deaf, and blind my friend?
Oh, and so we hold
Cannot you not hear? Cannot you not see?
And if with words
You could change the way things are arranged
Surely you'd be speaking, speaking no change
Oh, but the girl, deaf, dumb, and blind
From the cancer burning deep down inside
Oh, but the deed is done
And the girl is gone
I see no faith
That I have won
Well, you may find your religion
You may find your attraction
You may go, for me the girl is gone
Oh, you may find you're faithful
You may find out the reaction
But to me, the baby's gone
The baby...
Hey... hey...
Lyrics submitted by flaquito
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Fast Car
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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,
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
the kid that dave matthews is holding inside uttad is his sister anne's song. anne was murdered by her husband just before the record was realeased and now dave and his sister jane(from the song"the song that jane likes") takes care of him. i think that the girl who died of cancer in the song is meant to be stefan lassard's daughter that died.