"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.
Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breaking my heart you're leaving
Baby, I'm grieving
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breaking my heart in two
Because I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Beware
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Baby, I love you
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Beware
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And it's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breaking my heart you're leaving
Baby, I'm grieving
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breaking my heart in two
Because I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Beware
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Baby, I love you
But if you want to leave, take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Beware
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And it's hard to get by just upon a smile
Ooh baby baby, it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child, girl
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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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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,
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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.
i think of my friends and i when i hear this song. we're young, but not too young, and almost ready to try and make something of ourselves in the world but not sure how to do it. i think this song is about just that- a young girl wanting to come into her own and striving for independence, but a little uncertain and scared. i myself feel a little disheartened when i hear this song; it frightens me to think of the perils that are hiding around every corner in life, but it also excites me to think that soon, i will hopefully build up the strength, stamina and wisdom necessary for robbing those perils of their power over my life. wow that was deep lol