The True Meaning of Tracy Chapman’s Mega-Hit “Fast Car”
“Someone asked me what kind of car was in that song,” Tracy Chapman told Rolling Stone at the time. And laughed at the absurdity. “I think at first it was a Ram K car. And then it was a Toyota Corolla.” This is about the true meaning of Tracy Chapman’s mega-hit “Fast Car.”
The song isn’t about a car at all. But from a failed relationship. And a woman trying to escape the cycle of poverty. So how did something so brutal and depressing become a Top 10 hit?
Chapman began in the Boston folk scene before releasing “Fast Car” and “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” from her self-titled debut album in 1988. After she performed it on Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday that year, it exploded.
“Fast Car” received two Grammy nominations. For “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year”. And she won best female pop vocal performance and best new artist for the single.
Lyrics:
“You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we’ll make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we’ll do something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us outta here
I was 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 lives with the bottle, 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 mom 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 around my shoulder
And II had a feeling that I belonged
II had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast car
We go cruising, 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
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 around my shoulder
And II had a feeling that I belonged
II 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 of your kids
I’d always hope for better
Thought maybe together you and me’d find it
I got no plans, I ain’t going nowhere
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 around my shoulder
And II had a feeling that I belonged
II 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”
After the Grammy performances on February 4, several songs charted on the Billboard LyricFind US list and the Global Charts. Both rankings are topped by Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”.
Increased search for song lyrics
The LyricFind Global and LyricFind US charts show the fastest growing tracks, filtered by global and US song lyric searches. The data is collected by LyricFind. The company is considered a leading provider of licensed lyrics, with data provided by more than 5,000 publishers and used by more than 100 services, including Amazon, Deezer, Microsoft and iHeartRadio.
“Fast Car” was performed at the music awards ceremony as a duet by Chapman and Luke Combs. Combs himself covered the song for his last album “Gettin’ Old”.