Onde andas Tracy Chapman?

Fazer zapping por vezes dá nisto! Deparar-nos com coisas, que de surpresa nos agarram e puxam pela nossa capacidade de rebuscar os cantos da nossa memória à procura de fragmentos que parecem pertencer a um passado longínquo. Pelo menos parece longínquo... porque à muito que não ouço o nome desta artista. Sem seguir a sua carreira assiduamente, guardo-a no coração pelos seus contributos musicais em torno de causas nobres e mensagens carregadas de valores que nos dias que correm tendem desaparecer. Ontem, dia 10 de Março de 2010 tentei cantar a letra enquanto acompanhava o videoclip com uma imensa nostalgia. Fast Car retirado do álbum homónimo em 1988, é dos temas mais eloquentemente tristes e "bem tratados" que alguma vez ouvi. Em jeito de história, Tracy enquanto canta põem-se na pele da narradora que relata acontecimentos tristes da sua vida de forma cronológica, apenas para realizar que aparenta estar num ciclo vicioso e de forma a escapar a esse "fado" tão triste, terá de tomar uma decisão.

Este single despontou a sua carreira musical e ganhou maior destaque chegando aos ouvidos do mundo na celebração do 70º aniversário de Nelson Mandela. Creio que ter Tracy Chapman numa cerimónia destas para cantar este tema não poderia ser mais apropriado.

Como consequência deste seu "ressurgimento" é certo que vou imediatamente ouvir os seus últimos registos, que de facto até são relativamente recentes mas muito pouco falados por estas bandas.

Fica aqui essa grande malha...

FAST CAR

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And 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
We 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

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say 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
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

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

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs
You got a fast car
And 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 of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way