"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 lived in a place called Okfuskee
And I had a little girl in a holler tree
I said, "little girl, it's plain to see
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me"
She said, "it's hard for me to see
How one little boy got so ugly"
Yes, my little girly, that might be
But there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
We walked down by the Buckeye Creek
To see the frog eat the goggle-eye bee
To hear the west wind whistle to the east
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Oh, my little girly, will you let me see
Way over yonder where the wind blows free?
Nobody can see in our holler tree
And there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
Her mama cut a switch from a cherry tree
And laid it on the she and me
It stung lots worse than a hive of bees
But there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Now I've walked a long long ways
Still look back to my Tanglewood days
I've led lots of girls since then to stray
Saying ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
And I had a little girl in a holler tree
I said, "little girl, it's plain to see
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me"
She said, "it's hard for me to see
How one little boy got so ugly"
Yes, my little girly, that might be
But there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
We walked down by the Buckeye Creek
To see the frog eat the goggle-eye bee
To hear the west wind whistle to the east
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Oh, my little girly, will you let me see
Way over yonder where the wind blows free?
Nobody can see in our holler tree
And there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
There ain't nobody that can sing like me
Her mama cut a switch from a cherry tree
And laid it on the she and me
It stung lots worse than a hive of bees
But there ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Now I've walked a long long ways
Still look back to my Tanglewood days
I've led lots of girls since then to stray
Saying ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key
Way over yonder in the minor key
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Ain't nobody that can sing like me
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
how can you say billy bragg doesn't rock!??? he's an amazing AMAZING singer and lyricist. obviously you haven't done your research to learn about his importance within music history!
and i agree this IS a kick-ass song and Woody Guthrie rocks!.
Talk about a self-fullfilling prophecy. With the lyrics and the chord progression, the hair on my freshly shaven face stands on end right on cue. Really so simple and so perfect.
taking a biographical approach, i would say this song is about woody gutherie's mother (gutherie being the writer of all mermaid avenue songs)
woodys mom had huntingtons disease and ended up being placed in a mental institution. growing up, the disease would cause her erratic and violent behavior. she accidently killed one of his sisters by burning her and she badly burned his father.
however, she was woodys introduction to music. in the book "this land was made for you and me" by elizabeth partridge she quotes woody as saying "she began to gaze out our window and follow her songs out and up and over and away from it all, away over yonder in the minor keys"
the actual town he lived in was called okemah, but you can see the connection. the speaker is blaming himself somehow (the ugly boy), talking about the beatings he got from his mother (the tree part), yet still drawn to her. he loved her and was crushed that she reached the point where she couldnt even recognize him. yes, she was crazy, and abused him, but no one can sing like her...
fascinating. by the way, read about woody gutheries life, he lived an amazing one.
I love that book and have read it 5 times. Woody was such an amazing person and I was suprised when no one at my middles school knew who I was reading about. Great analogy. I had one around the same lines.
When I saw Billy Bragg a few years ago he played this and mentioned before hand that he felt there was a double meaning to it, with singing 'way over yonder in the minor key' kinda implying going down on a the little girly of the song...
He may just have been joking around, but it does make me laugh when I read the lyrics.
so true as well, male self-confidence vs female naivety
Thank you to raaaaaaaaaaghib for the explination, I've always loved this song and now its taken on a mich more profound meaning. Thank you. I will have to catch up on my Woody Guthrie. I thought I knew a thing or two....
I think he says Ofuskee because he lived in Okemah in Ofuskee county
It's a wonderful song, except there's one really annoying aspect that really bugs me. It's not sung in a minor key! He and Natalie are singing in major fifths! When I sing along, I always tune it down to fit. Not hard to do.
I can't believe nobody has commented on such a kick-ass song. Woody Guthrie rocks and so does wilco. Not so much Billy Bragg. I do have to wonder how this song would have sounded like if Bob Dylan had found this song instead of Billy Bragg.
I have to agree with Xmisfit, Billy Bragg is one of the great songwriter's of his generation. I know his unrefined singing voice, unhidden working class brogue and staunch socialist worldview is an acquired taste, but was Woody Guthrie any different? They were cast from the same mold. Billy Bragg's music is so earnest and bare, it stirs up passion in folks and inspires them to transcend their lives and the world around them, which is something Woody Guthrie would know something about. I encourage you to give Bragg another listen. I'm sure he will grow on you.