"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.
Back to how we began
And I promise it'll never come to not speaking again
You I'll always want to know
And you'll always have me to turn to, to hold you
When nothing's really wrong
When something really is
Whatever, whatever's the matter
Though I still want to fall into your arms
I won't let that come between us, between us
Though I still see you, still see you as home
That won't make me run from us, from us
And if I can't show you how I've grown the way I want to
I can do it by being friends with you
I can do it by being a friend
I won't let the broken heart
Return us to the silence that we knew
I won't let the heart that won't mend
Put us through all of that again
When nothing's really wrong
When something really is
Whatever, whatever's the matter
Though I still want to fall into your arms
I won't let that come between us, between us
Though I still see you, still see you as home
That won't make me run from us, from us
And if I can't show you how I've grown the way I want to
I can do it by being friends with you
I can do it by being a friend
And I promise it'll never come to not speaking again
You I'll always want to know
And you'll always have me to turn to, to hold you
When nothing's really wrong
When something really is
Whatever, whatever's the matter
Though I still want to fall into your arms
I won't let that come between us, between us
Though I still see you, still see you as home
That won't make me run from us, from us
And if I can't show you how I've grown the way I want to
I can do it by being friends with you
I can do it by being a friend
I won't let the broken heart
Return us to the silence that we knew
I won't let the heart that won't mend
Put us through all of that again
When nothing's really wrong
When something really is
Whatever, whatever's the matter
Though I still want to fall into your arms
I won't let that come between us, between us
Though I still see you, still see you as home
That won't make me run from us, from us
And if I can't show you how I've grown the way I want to
I can do it by being friends with you
I can do it by being a friend
Lyrics submitted by Madame Me
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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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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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.
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.
it's that person..
...the person you love so much, that you see as safety and still feel for them as you did before, but knowing it's time to give it up.. and holding them as just friends then, because you're willing to take that road instead of no road with them instead