Songs in the classroom : Fast Car

Hello there,

Many of you liked and visited my post about the song Somebody I Used to Know. I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to practise English with another song. The selected song this time is Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. 

Here you have the lyrics with some questions. Enjoy :

Listen to the song and complete the exercises :

1. Complete the song numbers 1-7 with a compound of 
‘some’, ‘any’ or ‘no’ (somebody, nothing, anywhere...)

2.  Choose the correct option of the words in bold in the lyrics 
of the song

3. What do you think this song is about ? Justify your option 
with some sentences in the lyrics of the song.
a) Sexual abuse
b) Complaining about the routine of your life
c) The remembrance of an accident

4. Replace 'that' for another relative in the sentence :
'I got a job that pays all our bills.' Can we omit the relative ?

5. In sentence number 8 (8), there is a grammatical mistake. 
Which one ?

6. Rephrase the following sentences with the words in the brackets
a) Starting from zero got nothing to lose 
(anything)
b) Me myself I got nothing to prove 
(anything)

7. Analyze these sentences and answer the question : 
Normally, 'any' can only be used in negative and interrogative 
sentences but, what happens when we use 'any' in affirmative 
sentences ?
Any place is better
I want a ticket to anywhere

"Fast Car"

You got a fast car

I want a ticket to ___________ (1)
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get ____________ (2)
Any place is better
Starting from zero got ________ (3)  to lose
Maybe we'll make __________ (4)
Me myself I got ________ (5) to prove

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

See my old man's got a problem
He lives with the bottle / body that's the way it is
He says 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 / light than he could give
I said (6)________'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 remember when we were driving driving in your car
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
I had a feeling I could be _______ (7), be _______ (7), be

________ (7)
(Chorus)

You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain / entrain 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 / removed 
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs / subway

             Chorus

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking / hanging late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your feast / kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me find it
I got no plans I ain't going _________ (8)
So take your fast car and keep on driving

Chorus

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
           


Answers :
1 and 2. See answers in this link: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tracychapman/fastcar.html
3. b)

The singer somehow complains about her life. She needs a change

in her life. She remembers the old times with her father (driving a car) when she was free and had

no responsibilities. This is seen in the sentences : 'I want a ticket to anywhere,' 'leave

tonight or live and die this way.'

4. 'That' can be replaced by 'which' and it can't be omitted.

5. It should be 'I ain't going anywhere'. Double negatives are not correct in English

although a lot of people use them.

6. a) Starting from zero you haven't got anything to lose.

b) Me myself I haven't got anything to prove.

7. When we use 'any in the affirmative, it means 'no matter what', 'every'

(Spanish : cualquiera)

Any place is better = Cualquier lugar es mejor

I want a ticket to anywhere = Quiero un billete a cualquier lugar.