"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.
I can change the world, with my own two hands
Make a better place, with my own two hands
Make a kinder place, oh with my, oh with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I can make peace on earth, with my own two hands
And I can clean up the earth, oh with my own two hands
And I can reach out to you, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
Oh, with my own, oh with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
(With my own two hands)
Now I can hold you, in my own two hands
And I can comfort you, with my own two hands
But you got to use, use your own two hands
Use your own, use your own two hands
Use your own two hands
And with our own two hands
With our, with our, with our own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
Oh, make it a brighter place (With my own)
I can hold you (With my own)
And I can comfort you (With my own)
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use
Oh, use your own
Oh, use your own, Lord
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use, use
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own
Make a better place, with my own two hands
Make a kinder place, oh with my, oh with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I can make peace on earth, with my own two hands
And I can clean up the earth, oh with my own two hands
And I can reach out to you, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
Oh, with my own, oh with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
(With my own two hands)
Now I can hold you, in my own two hands
And I can comfort you, with my own two hands
But you got to use, use your own two hands
Use your own, use your own two hands
Use your own two hands
And with our own two hands
With our, with our, with our own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
Oh, make it a brighter place (With my own)
I can hold you (With my own)
And I can comfort you (With my own)
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use
Oh, use your own
Oh, use your own, Lord
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use, use
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own
Lyrics submitted by millertheoly
With My Own Two Hands Lyrics as written by Benjamin Harper
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
i love him, and this song. This song is suppose to give hope to the possibilities you hold within yourself. I am such a believer that finding happiness and peace is as much of a possibility as you choose to make it for yourself.
i can believe barely anyone has posted this and its been up for 2 years! its my favorite BH song! anyways yeah your right the song basically speaks for itself. no interpretation needed. its about trying to spread the goodness in people harts around the world like caring for one another and cleaning up pollution and bringing peace throughout the world
this song is wonderful. its basically saying anything is possible if you believe in yourself and peace and happiness will outcome of positive, good things.
So many people think that they are incapable of making an impact on the world by themselves and they just leave it up to other people-This song is saying that anyone can do anything if they try, without the help of others..
This song is Amazing!! i listen to it every morning and it inspires Me! If only everyone would listen to this song daily