"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.
If there is ever the impregnable question
Of why what did or didn't pass
It would help to seek
Comfort in destiny
But I really don't
We don't see eye to eye
But I need you
And you're always on my mind
Whether there is or isn't any position
You care if I take or I don't
I will always hope
What we shared so long
To be the only love
And though we don't see eye to eye
I need you
And you're always on my mind
Through time and through many a situation
We both look forward side-by-side
We have shared it all
We have both stood tall
What is mine is yours, in happiness and strife
You're my love
And I want you in my life
Of why what did or didn't pass
It would help to seek
Comfort in destiny
But I really don't
We don't see eye to eye
But I need you
And you're always on my mind
Whether there is or isn't any position
You care if I take or I don't
I will always hope
What we shared so long
To be the only love
And though we don't see eye to eye
I need you
And you're always on my mind
Through time and through many a situation
We both look forward side-by-side
We have shared it all
We have both stood tall
What is mine is yours, in happiness and strife
You're my love
And I want you in my life
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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,
American Town
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
Firstly, this is a beautiful track.
I suppose I'm going to attempt to break this down as I see it presently.
If there is ever the impregnable question of why, what did or didn't pass. - "If we ever wonder why things turned out as they did."
It would help to seek comfort in destiny - "It would be handy to look at it from the perspective that everything happens for a reason."
but I really don't, - "But I don't" we don't see eye to eye - " as destiny and I don't see eye to eye."
but I need you and you're always on my mind - "And regardless of these thought, I know that I need you and you're all I think about."
Whether there is or isn't any position you care if I take or if I don't - "I don't know if you even care what position I take on the matter at this point."
I will always hold what what we shared so long - "But here's how it is- I'm going to hold on to the feeling we shared."
to be the only love, and though we don't see eye to eye I need you, and you're always on my mind - "That you are my only love, and even if we don't see things the same way, I need you, and you're all I think about."
Through time, and through many a situation We both look forward, side-by-side - "We've been through a lot together."
We have shared it all, we have both stood tall. - "And we braved some tough times and made it through."
What is mine is yours, in happiness and in strife - "Everything I have and am is yours, irrespective of how we feel."
You're my love, and I want you in my life - " You are the one I love, and I want you in my life."
That's just how I see it, I suppose. If you have any additions or thoughts, go for it.
I love this song! Quite the departure from most DP songs. A beautiful, short
Today, I listened to this with my girlfriend, to which she said "We should play this at our wedding."
If there was ever any question that she is my soulmate, that answered it!!
Congrats! Great song for a wedding. (I was never into conventional wedding songs and didn't have one at my wedding.) This line is especially wonderful, so you must have something very special: "we have shared it all."
beautifully simple song.
bit pedantic perhaps, but I've always listened to it slightly differently, without the '?' after the 'why':
If there is ever the impregnable question of why what did or didn't pass? it would help to seek comfort in destiny but i really don't, we don't see eye to eye.
I think this gives the sense of the first verse (and best, in my opinion!) better. I tend to think of this song as from the perspective of a guy whose relationship is breaking or has broken down. he says that you can ask questions about why things broke down, and it may help to think that it was 'fate', but thinking like that can't help him get over it. it's such a simple idea, but is conveyed so perfectly in that verse.
Song about a couple who may or may not have lasted, but they had a child together. Although the relationship still proves difficult, they find happiness in what theyve built together and aren't looking back at what ifs.