“Fast Car” is a 1988 hit by Tracy Chapman that tells the story of a working-class woman trying to escape the cycle of poverty and a stagnant relationship. Written in 1986 while Chapman was a student at Tufts University, the song is not directly autobiographical but reflects the struggles she observed in her Cleveland, Ohio community while being raised by a single mother.
The track achieved global superstardom after Chapman performed it at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute in 1988. During the concert, a technical glitch prevented Stevie Wonder from performing, and organizers rushed Chapman to the stage with only her guitar. Her performance of “Fast Car” to an audience of over 600 million viewers catapulted the song to the Top 5 in the US and UK, defining her debut album.
In recent years, the song has seen a massive resurgence through covers, most notably by Luke Combs in 2023. Combs’ country version reached No. 1 on the country charts, making Chapman the first Black woman to top the country charts as a sole songwriter. The song’s themes of economic inequality and social mobility have resonated across generations, with electronic remixes by Jonas Blue and Tobtok also achieving significant chart success.
[Verse 1]
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero, got nothing to lose
Maybe we’ll make somethin’
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
[Verse 2]
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
Won’t have to drive too far
Just across the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
Finally see what it means to be living
[Verse 3]
See, my old man’s got a problem
He lives with a bottle, that’s the way it is
He says his body’s too old for workin’
His body’s too young to look like his
When mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said, “Somebody’s gotta take care of him”
I quit school and that’s what I did
[Pre-Chorus]
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
[Chorus]
So I remember when we were drivin’, drivin’ 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 feelin’ I could be someone
Be someone, be someone
[Verse 4]
You got a fast car
We go cruisin’, 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
And we’ll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs
[Chorus]
So I remember when we were drivin’, drivin’ 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 feelin’ I could be someone
Be someone, be someone
[Verse 5]
You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinkin’ 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’d find it
I got no plans, I ain’t going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on drivin’
[Chorus]
So I remember when we were drivin’, drivin’ 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 feelin’ I could be someone
Be someone, be someone
[Outro]
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
