This is exposed as a dream too, by the line "we'll move out of the shelter". She says "do we leave tonight or live and die this way?" The images created in the first verse were a dream about how they would live, as imagined by her.Īs illustrated by the new scenario, that of cruising along the boulevard. She then speaks to the owner of the car, her husband. She would never become the woman who left her man. His wife left him, and left our main character with that father. She lulls him into the city, a life he may not have been able to afford. She then uses "you" to refer to the owner of the car. I noted that it was she who states "Maybe we'll make something? Me (myself,) I got nothing to prove." Beautiful, amazing, wonderful I just re-read the song because of your beautiful insights and perspectives. I do think this song is more about self growth / hope / realization than a relationship, but it's still an interesting perspective to look at. Maybe in the end, she finally realizes that a fast car is all this person is good for, and that she needs a lot more than that to change her life. It makes it seem like she is the only one trying in the relationship, and maybe all this person has to offer is a fast car. She says things about the person she's with hopefully eventually getting a job, but they never do, it's always her. I also think it's important to notice how throughout the song, she is the one who keeps getting jobs, and keeps trying to get promoted. The song lyrics go in a circle, and at the end she is older and in a different place, but she sees the same cycle beginning to repeat itself. At the end she's right back where she started despite her perseverance and hope that she could change her life for the better. General CommentI agree with everyone's opinion about this song being about chasing a dream. Thought maybe together you and me'd find it See more of your friends than you do of your kids I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someoneĪnd I work in the market as a checkout girlīuy a bigger house and live in the suburbs So I remember when we were driving, driving in your carĪnd your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder I said somebody's got to take care of him She wanted more from life than he could give He live with the bottle, that's the way it is The importance of the decision to run away together at the start of the story is conveyed by the line, `We leave tonight or live and die this way.' The lyrics fill us with a shared sense of hope but by the end of the song we realize another life changing, and sad, decision has been made when the `we' becomes `you' in the final line, `You leave tonight or live and die this way.Managed to save just a little bit of moneyĪnd finally see what it means to be living By the end of the song, time has moved on again and we're told of a less than happy home life with her working to pay the bills and bringing up their children on her own while he remains unemployed and stays out drinking. The song jumps forward in time and the lines, `I know things will get better, you'll find work.we'll move out of this shelter.' let us know that things haven't turned out the way she planned. She dreams of a better life and hatches a plan to escape from it all with a boyfriend who has a fast car. In an interview, Chapman said, "It's not really about a car at all.basically it's about a relationship that doesn't work out because it's starting from the wrong place."Īt the start of the song we learn of a girl who has quit school to look after her ailing, alcoholic father after her mother walks out. This track won singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman a Grammy award in 1988 for `Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.'
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