"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.
(Solo: Kai)
Hours of lust, hours of tears passing by before my eyes
Today, tomorrow, yesterday...one life
Days of joy, day of sadness come and go to pass me by
A month, a year, one hundred years, they fly
Bridge:
Ohh, one day I will be gone to lead another life
Ohh, and this world will stop to turn around with me
'Cause
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
On without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
Times of peace, times of fights, constant movement is our life
Can't stop no more, not until...we die
We long for more...eternity, and maybe there's another life
This one is short, no matter how you try
Bridge:
Ohh, but never give up all the hope to lead a good life
No, don't waste your given time to make things worse
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
One without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
(Solo: Kai/Michael/Both)
Plese, please help me see, the best way to be
Make a change and we, live eternally
No more wasted years, no more wasted tears
Life's too short to cry, long enough to try
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
On without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
Hours of lust, hours of tears passing by before my eyes
Today, tomorrow, yesterday...one life
Days of joy, day of sadness come and go to pass me by
A month, a year, one hundred years, they fly
Bridge:
Ohh, one day I will be gone to lead another life
Ohh, and this world will stop to turn around with me
'Cause
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
On without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
Times of peace, times of fights, constant movement is our life
Can't stop no more, not until...we die
We long for more...eternity, and maybe there's another life
This one is short, no matter how you try
Bridge:
Ohh, but never give up all the hope to lead a good life
No, don't waste your given time to make things worse
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
One without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
(Solo: Kai/Michael/Both)
Plese, please help me see, the best way to be
Make a change and we, live eternally
No more wasted years, no more wasted tears
Life's too short to cry, long enough to try
Chorus:
Time...marches
Time...marches
On without us all, never stops, yes
Time...marches
Time...marches
On and on and on, flies eternally
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
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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 sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
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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.
Hooked by the line "...life's too short to cry, long enough to try..." when I first heard the song back in 1988 & has always been a motivator for me!!!