Not only is “Fast Car” doing streaming and radio wonders for Luke Combs, the cover is also giving somewhat of a second wind to American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman.
Combs released the fan-favorite cover of “Fast Car” on his most recent studio album Gettin’ Old, and it quickly rocketed by streaming charts and was sent to country radio as a single.
Interestingly enough, Comb’s version of the song has actually done so well that it peaked higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than Tracy Chapman’s original version did in 1988. Some of felt bad for the pop-soul artist and seen it as her song being overshadowed, but a recent announcement does give a ton of credit to Chapman, and the whole situation has actually made history.
Not to mention, she’s gonna be getting some big, fat royalty checks in the mail for a long, long time.
Thanks to Luke Comb’s rendition of the all-time classic “Fast Car,” Tracy Chapman is now the first ever black woman to reach the number one spot on the country charts as a sole writer of a song. And to be even more specific, it is only the second time since 1990 that a black songwriter topped the list as the only credited writer on the track.
Whether or not Luke Combs or Tracy Chapman are singing the classic tune, everyone joins in once it gets to the recognizable 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
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, had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone”
If you are like me, you just kind of softly mumble and stumble through the rest of the verses. Luke Combs version is undoubtedly great:
But you have to give credit where credit is due.
Tracy Chapman came out of the gates incredibly strong with her original version of “Fast Car” in 1988.
Check it out:
