"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.
How can you see looking through those tears?
Don't you know you're worth your weight in gold?
I can't believe that you're alone in here
Let me warm your hands against the cold
A close encounter with a hard-hearted man
Who never gave half of what he got
Has made you wish that you'd never been born
That's a shame 'cause you got the lot
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
If you smiled the walls would fall down
On all the people in this pickup joint
But if you laughed you'd level this town
Hey, lonely girl, that's just the point
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
Just answer me the question, "Why
You stand alone by the phone
In the corner and cry?" Hey, baby
How can you see looking through those tears?
Don't you know you're worth your weight in gold?
I can't believe that you're alone in here
Let me warm your hands against the cold
If you smiled the walls would fall down
On all the people in this pickup joint
But if you laughed you'd level this town
Hey, lonely girl, that's just the point
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
Let's live it up
Live it up
Mmh, live it up
Hey there, you
With the sad face
Come up to my place
Come up to my place, baby
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
You with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
Don't you know you're worth your weight in gold?
I can't believe that you're alone in here
Let me warm your hands against the cold
A close encounter with a hard-hearted man
Who never gave half of what he got
Has made you wish that you'd never been born
That's a shame 'cause you got the lot
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
If you smiled the walls would fall down
On all the people in this pickup joint
But if you laughed you'd level this town
Hey, lonely girl, that's just the point
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
Just answer me the question, "Why
You stand alone by the phone
In the corner and cry?" Hey, baby
How can you see looking through those tears?
Don't you know you're worth your weight in gold?
I can't believe that you're alone in here
Let me warm your hands against the cold
If you smiled the walls would fall down
On all the people in this pickup joint
But if you laughed you'd level this town
Hey, lonely girl, that's just the point
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
Let's live it up
Live it up
Mmh, live it up
Hey there, you
With the sad face
Come up to my place
Come up to my place, baby
Hey there, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
You with the sad face
Come up to my place and live it up
You beside the dance floor
What do you cry for? Let's live it up
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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,
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.
It's not a one hit wonder, and they're not an unknown band. They're an Aussie band and they were pretty big here. They also did "Nips are gettin' bigger" which still gets radio play, and "If you leave me" which gets lots of air time too. Also did "World seems difficult" which is on a couple of movies.
80's hit, it's a nice song to listen to, very catchy. Pretty much obvious lyrics, unknown band, and a WEIRD video.
A one-hit wonder, but a catchy song indeed.
Here's a different take - ever considered a darker interpretation, that the singer is a sexual predator, preying on vulnerable (& drunk) young women?
Seriously, go back and listen to it again and you'll see!