Tracy Chapman, Fast Car | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 115^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Fast Car” by singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 115^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Fast Car”, performed by singer/songwriter 🎙 Tracy Chapman. 

“You got a fast car / I got a plan to get us outta here / I been working at the convenience store / Managed to save just a little bit of money.” Just those excerpted lyrics from 🎵 “Fast Car”, the sensational 🎙 Tracy Chapman masterpiece, which she composed herself, encompass ambition, escaping from an unideal place, and narrativize a couple seeking a better life that feels incredibly authentic and relatable.  In the second verse of her top-10 hit  no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100), Chapman adds, “You and I can both get jobs / Finally see what it means to be living.” That statement truly hits home, speaking to the plight of the working class. That’s just one excerpt from this 🏆 Grammy-winning song (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female). Chapman would also win 🏆 Grammys at the 31^st Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Folk Recording, while she was nominated for Record, Song, and Album of the Year for 💿 Tracy Chapman (1988). “See, my old man’s got a problem / He lives with a bottle, that’s the way it is,” Chapman continues singing, continuing to be authentic to the n^th degree.

Vocally, Chapman exemplifies the singer/songwriter sound.  She’s expressive and nuanced, but she never forces things or over-sings. Her tone is pure from the onset.  There’s a sense of poise throughout the courses of the verses, yet, simultaneously, Tracy sounds commanding and firmly in control – it’s hypnotic to a degree.  The chorus provides a welcome change of pace, finding her upping the intensity.  The drums contribute to this temporary dynamic burst, prior to the return of the even-keel verses.

“So, I 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-I, had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone.”

It’s not just the lyrics, narrative, theme, or vocals that make “Fast Car” a surefire classic.  The production (🎛 David Kershenbaum) and instrumental, although relatively simple, is perfect for this folks, soft rock gem.  Guitars, bass, drums, and percussion is more than enough to fuel the fire. Notably, in 2023, Tracy Chapman would earn additional accolades for “Fast Car.” 🏆 Grammy nominated country musician 🎙 Luke Combs covered it, peaking at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and racking up a no. 1 on the Country Airplay charts. This made Chapman first black woman with the sole writing credit on a no. 1 country song. The big takeaway is that 🎵 “Fast Car” is a truly a once in a lifetime song, one that remains beloved more than three decades later.

🎙 Tracy Chapman • 💿 Tracy Chapman • 🏷 Elektra • 🗓 1988

Tracy Chapman, Fast Car: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 115 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Elektra; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via  Pixabay]