"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.
60 watts, brighter than my future,
an empty forty, fuller than my life,
there must be more, sometimes i don't think so,
maybe i'm right. maybe there's no such thing as a brighter side
A sultry night stare at moons from rooftops,
A broken engine, poisoned never dry,
I pour my heart out to a god that doesn't listen,
You said you'd save me. You said you'd love me always but you lied.
And i can't dry my eyes and there is nothing left inside,
one day. the day. the day that i said i,
my heart inside was cold so that you didn't know,
so all and you, you won't love me at all,
the leaves come down,
there is no sound,
and if i fall would you notice at all?
the thought of me repulses me,
but you'd say you took me anyway,
i am so alone on a corroded city rooftop,
i saw you walking, you didn't say anything,
you always told me that you'd never stop loving me,
but you stopped before you started and now all i have is lies.
What am i gonna be?
Who am i gonna be?
afraid,
repressed,
And now that i feel lost,
Well i wish that you had grown
while i bleed all alone,
the falling rain
is what is left for me
We’re gonna be
what's left for me
what is there to learn?
there is less than nothing,
i thought you'd be. be there for me
you weren't there. you weren't anywhere.
You lied right to my face
you broke my fucking heart,
One day, one day you tore my heart apart.
And i have nothing,
And i am nothing,
i’m piss,
i’m shit,
i am less than nothing.
an empty forty, fuller than my life,
there must be more, sometimes i don't think so,
maybe i'm right. maybe there's no such thing as a brighter side
A sultry night stare at moons from rooftops,
A broken engine, poisoned never dry,
I pour my heart out to a god that doesn't listen,
You said you'd save me. You said you'd love me always but you lied.
And i can't dry my eyes and there is nothing left inside,
one day. the day. the day that i said i,
my heart inside was cold so that you didn't know,
so all and you, you won't love me at all,
the leaves come down,
there is no sound,
and if i fall would you notice at all?
the thought of me repulses me,
but you'd say you took me anyway,
i am so alone on a corroded city rooftop,
i saw you walking, you didn't say anything,
you always told me that you'd never stop loving me,
but you stopped before you started and now all i have is lies.
What am i gonna be?
Who am i gonna be?
afraid,
repressed,
And now that i feel lost,
Well i wish that you had grown
while i bleed all alone,
the falling rain
is what is left for me
We’re gonna be
what's left for me
what is there to learn?
there is less than nothing,
i thought you'd be. be there for me
you weren't there. you weren't anywhere.
You lied right to my face
you broke my fucking heart,
One day, one day you tore my heart apart.
And i have nothing,
And i am nothing,
i’m piss,
i’m shit,
i am less than nothing.
Lyrics submitted by wako
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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,
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
yeah, i don't think this song has anything to do with religion. seeing as how there is an actual reference to a god in the song...it's such amazing writing that if it were about religion, that line would have been left out and left for us to interpret. a great song, none the less.