"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.
It's so good to learn that right outside your window
There's only friendly fields and open roads
And you'll sleep better when you think you've stepped back from the brink
And found some peace inside yourself; lay down your heavy load
It gets alright
to dream at night
Believe in solid skies and slate blue earth below
But when you see him, you'll know
It's okay to find the faith to saunter forward
There's no fear of shadows spreading where you stand
And you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
And the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
It gets okay
to praise the day
Believe in sheltering skies and stable earth beneath
But hear his breath come through his teeth
Walk by faith
Tell no one what you've seen
It's so good to learn that from right here the view goes on forever
And you'll never want for comfort, and you'll never be alone
See the sunset turning red, let all be quiet in your head
And look about, all the stars are coming out
They shine like steel swords
Wish me well where I go
But when you see me, you'll know
There's only friendly fields and open roads
And you'll sleep better when you think you've stepped back from the brink
And found some peace inside yourself; lay down your heavy load
It gets alright
to dream at night
Believe in solid skies and slate blue earth below
But when you see him, you'll know
It's okay to find the faith to saunter forward
There's no fear of shadows spreading where you stand
And you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
And the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
It gets okay
to praise the day
Believe in sheltering skies and stable earth beneath
But hear his breath come through his teeth
Walk by faith
Tell no one what you've seen
It's so good to learn that from right here the view goes on forever
And you'll never want for comfort, and you'll never be alone
See the sunset turning red, let all be quiet in your head
And look about, all the stars are coming out
They shine like steel swords
Wish me well where I go
But when you see me, you'll know
Lyrics submitted by mossushi, edited by mouseskeleton
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
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.
I think it's about someone who's a survivor of abuse. You get past it, and you try to live a normal life and believe that the world is safe and that everything will be alright, and then one day you see the abuser on the street or you hear a sound that reminds you of them and all the attempts you've made to insulate yourself and feel secure just crash down around you.
You're never quite free.
Wouldn't surprise me. That "dry land" bit could be a callback to "Has Thou Considered the Tetrapod?", where he says that one day he'll end up on dry land (as in, be away from his abusive stepfather).
I like your interpretation of the song. I saw it in a bit vaguer terms of someone overcoming darkness. About coming into optimism and believing that there's only good things ahead and then one day realizing that they haven't shaken free, that the memory is still there and it threatens to drag them down again.
The thing is, the memories will always be a part of you. But that's what made you who you are, that's what made you strong. And though you are never quite free, you can still be hopeful and content with the world. That is the importance of this song, and of poetry. That is the importance of music.
and this is how a song can save lives.
Just saw The Mountain Goats last week. Darnielle introduced this song by saying that a bunch of folks have told him how much "hope it gives them, which is odd," he said, "because it's about never actually being free from something."
God I love The Mountain Goats.
I love that quote from Darnielle! And I don't think it's odd at all, this song does give me hope for the future because that's just it - you are never free, and once you accept that, it's easier to move on and see better things. I've suffered depression for a majority of my adult life and this is one of the songs that I listen to when times are bad. <br /> <br /> Also, you posted that comment on my birthday, JonMcP, and that made my day a bit.
I was about to say the same thing as letters111. Because it does bring hope to accept being human, and being human is being never quite free. And this song shows us that's okay.
I agree with the interpretation of it being about surviving sexual assault, but I think it has a happy ending. There is the triggering of trauma in the lines "when you see him, you'll know," and "hear his breath come through his teeth," but there is also that last line: "when you see me, you'll know." I feel like that last line indicates that when you see the protagonist, you'll know all of the hope and strength (listed in the rest of the song) that that person houses within them. When you see me, you'll know that I am a survivor, that I have found the faith to saunter forward, to dream at night (no more nightmares), and to finally heal.
I agree with this interpretation about the last line, despite the word "happy ending" is perhaps not proper. "When you see me" seems to refer to all the burden he is carrying, and the struggle he is doing: it is like one willingly embracing his fight
I think you mean fantastic. This is one of the album highlights for me.
I believe the couplet toward the middle is Walk by faith", a common theological expression.
I believe the couplet toward the middle is Walk by faith", a common theological expression.
And this is what hope sounds like
It is.
I've always interpreted this song as being about Death. You can live a good life, work through your problems and trials and come out a better, happier person on the other end, but the specter of your eventual death will always be there, breathing down your neck. We're never quite free of that fear.
It took me quite a few listens to notice "solid sky and slate blue earth" is deliberately mixed up. Just to emphasize the dreaming, I guess.