【Fast Car】the most underdog song

我管它叫the most underdog song,是因為我覺得沒有哪首歌比這首更underdog了；這首歌描述底層得無奈，掙紮，甚至自暴自棄，下一代重複著上一代的命運。“我”講述了一個打工一族的女性想去擺脫貧困圈 escape the cycle of poverty。當然這首歌的作者Tracy Chapman是一位頗為成功的音樂人，隻要不放任自己，或正在過著即使非貴也即富的生活。

我第一次聽這首歌是多年前，被其旋律與節拍吸引，一個字‘與眾不同’。當我聽到歌詞中我是girl時，我奇怪為什麽第一人稱是女性？在她的視頻回帖裏有個音樂專業的學生附言，她的老師在音樂課上以Fast Car舉例，她也很驚訝，Tracy Chapman居然是She. Tracy是個中性名字，有興趣可以搜一下Tracy Chapman，【Fast Car】原版視頻， 不僅聲音象男聲視頻中她看著也像個男孩。所以我開始也以為她是He; 這首歌的幾個成功的翻唱也都是男聲翻唱，翻唱作品也沒有改歌詞，仍然把自己稱為girl.

 

Fast Car

                  Song by Tracy Chapman

Lyrics
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we can make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero, got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He say his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
And we'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way