"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.
20,000 is a perfect number
Fits together
You and me
I've been crawling on the carpet for four hours now
Burning holes in my knees for your hand
You are my red-faced girl
Dark hair, dark eyes
Dark feather, dark eyes
Who wishes she had darker skin
I hope when it turns midnight
You won't leave me when the sunny lights are gone
I'll feel cold, in the room, at the window, All alone
When your car starts for the forty-nine
I don't want to take your hand
And take your way of life away and then
Where the drums are, tom tom
Where the drums are, you won't be welcome
I missed the ship that took them back all the way across the ocean
But your family came from here
But I didn't sail here to destroy you
I came all the way, across the ocean just to hold you
Just to hold you, just to hold you
I came all the way
The A.I.M won't support me because I don't look like them, to them
But I didn't sail here to destroy you
I came all the way across the ocean just to, just to hold you
Just to hold you
Just to hold you
Just to hold you
I came all the way
I came all the way
Fits together
You and me
I've been crawling on the carpet for four hours now
Burning holes in my knees for your hand
You are my red-faced girl
Dark hair, dark eyes
Dark feather, dark eyes
Who wishes she had darker skin
I hope when it turns midnight
You won't leave me when the sunny lights are gone
I'll feel cold, in the room, at the window, All alone
When your car starts for the forty-nine
I don't want to take your hand
And take your way of life away and then
Where the drums are, tom tom
Where the drums are, you won't be welcome
I missed the ship that took them back all the way across the ocean
But your family came from here
But I didn't sail here to destroy you
I came all the way, across the ocean just to hold you
Just to hold you, just to hold you
I came all the way
The A.I.M won't support me because I don't look like them, to them
But I didn't sail here to destroy you
I came all the way across the ocean just to, just to hold you
Just to hold you
Just to hold you
Just to hold you
I came all the way
I came all the way
Lyrics submitted by carboncentric, edited by The Withered Grave
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
Magical
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Head > Heels
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“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.
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Ed Sheeran
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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.
This song has been non stop in my cd player all week.
wow...this IS such a powerful song. i heard it on this indieradio show forever ago, like 3 years or something and i went crazy forever trying to figure out who sang it, but now i know and eniac rocks!! adder seafarer is such a good song too...wow my heart tears for this one. xox
eniac is such a powerful band, this is the song that really turned me on to them. i thank deep elm records for putting out their wonderful emo diaries cd's so i can enjoy bands like this
ever since hearing this song i've been in a frenzy trying to find other material. does anyone know of any releases by eniac? if so, what record label are they with? i MUST know! thanks so much.
Hey man, you can visit their site at eniacmusic.com/ and there's some other songs you can download at artists.mp3s.com/artists/74/eniac.html they're an awesome awesome band. This is their best song in my opinion.
thank you thestray...you are my savior
You folks are very kind. This song was one of the first songs Jason (guitar) and I wrote when we were first starting the band. The only version ever released was recorded at my parents house in the living room. It eventually made its way onto the Emo Diaries. We've just gotten back the rights to record it, but we're not sure if a new version will ever see the light of day. Thanks for the compliments. Nathan - ENIAC
Just to correct some lyrics:
You won't leave me when the sunny lights are gone I'll feel cold, in the room at the window all alone