Throwback Thursday
Tracy Chapman ~ “Fast Car”
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
Some songs don’t belong to just one genre ~ they belong to all of us.
Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car is one of those rare tracks.
Released in 1988, Fast Car hit like heat lightning. A folk song that felt raw, honest, and urgent ~ not because it shouted, but because it whispered truths. It’s about longing, escape, hope, cycles, addiction, poverty, and trying to believe in something better. It was deeply personal, yet it carried a shared emotional weight that so many connected with.
Some say this was the moment Fast Car arrived. She was only 24!
The song was a hit back then ~ and it’s still resonating.
In 1991, Nice & Smooth sampled Fast Car for Sometimes I Rhyme Slow. The loop was unmistakable ~ the “Fast Car” guitar intro sped up. The mood still heavy, the contrast with the bars gave it a new life in a different lane. Same themes ~ just rhymes focusing on loving someone with a drug addiction. Suddenly, Tracy’s folk anthem was part of a hip hop classic ~ and that’s the magic of a perfect song. It can hold multiple truths and interpretations, and still connect.
Most Recently, Fast Car has been crossing borders again.
Luke Combs, one of country’s biggest stars, recorded a faithful cover that brought Tracy’s story into country radio rotation ~ and made history while doing it. His version became the first time a Black woman solely wrote a country #1 hit performed by a solo male artist. In 2024, Tracy Chapman won the CMA Song of the Year ~ decades after writing it.
So now Fast Car has traveled from folk to hip hop to country, and everywhere in between.
And it’s still one of the most poignant pop songs ever written.
This song is a time capsule and a mirror.
It’s about escaping ~ or trying to ~ and realizing that sometimes you bring your burdens with you.
But you still try.
It’s not just about driving fast ~ it’s about driving forward.
Tracy Chapman never chased fame. She didn’t play the industry game.
She just made beautiful music, told the truth, and let it speak.
