It was instantly recognizable by that beautiful piece of guitar work in the opening, followed by, “Who’s got a fast car…”
I turned to someone I knew and joked, “I haven’t heard this song in 20 years”. I actually meant to say 40 years.
She responded she hadn’t heard it in two days. She may have also said two hours, because the music was pretty loud.
In any case, we were both joking around. The song that was a hit for Tracy Chapman in 1988, had a resurgence when country singer Luke Combs covered it last year.
Then they performed that moving and inspiring version together recently at the Grammys.
“Fast Car” is another song that symbolizes a time of transition for me.
The Spring of ‘88
Wikipedia reveals “Fast Car” came out on April 6, 1988. I was living in Edmonton at the time, going to university and living in student residence.
Wikipedia reveals “Fast Car” came out on April 6, 1988. I was living in Edmonton at the time, going to university and living in student residence.
Three things were going on simultaneously for me – I was trying to wrap up the school year both personally and academically; I was preparing for the next school year when I was set to take on a role in student leadership; and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for the summer, knowing I was destined to head back to the family farm.
The end of a year
My first year of university was amazing. One of the highlights was getting to know the ladies of Fifth Kelsey, an all girls’ floor, in the same tower I lived in. I had developed a serious crush, but just never got up the courage to tell her how I felt, even when she pretty much confronted me head on. After that, I tried to move on, and did, and we stayed really good friends. Plus, I developed a crush over the last couple months of school on various other members of Fifth Kelsey. After all, I was barely 18 at the time.
My first year of university was amazing. One of the highlights was getting to know the ladies of Fifth Kelsey, an all girls’ floor, in the same tower I lived in. I had developed a serious crush, but just never got up the courage to tell her how I felt, even when she pretty much confronted me head on. After that, I tried to move on, and did, and we stayed really good friends. Plus, I developed a crush over the last couple months of school on various other members of Fifth Kelsey. After all, I was barely 18 at the time.
When the weather turned, I remember Fifth Kelsey having a barbecue in Hawryluk Park, which was not really that far a walk from res. It was great. I remember sitting in the sun, playing catch with a football with that same girl I had a crush on for so long, and eating some hamburgers and hot dogs straight off the grill.
It kind of symbolized the end of that year socially, although there was a lot of other stuff going on, such as final exams.
The next year
Every floor in res had what was called a floor coordinator. He or she was elected by all the floor members at the end of one school year to serve as coordinator the next year. I was elected coordinator of Tenth Kelsey and started to take over soon after. That meant holding floor meetings, going to what was called joint council which was a bi-weekly meeting of all coordinators, and attending hall council meetings which were meetings of all the coordinators in Kelsey Hall. I had been a proxy for my coordinator a couple times, but it was a steep learning curve. To add to the uncertainty, I was given no indication how the following year would unfold, not even what day or time to come back to res in the Fall.
Every floor in res had what was called a floor coordinator. He or she was elected by all the floor members at the end of one school year to serve as coordinator the next year. I was elected coordinator of Tenth Kelsey and started to take over soon after. That meant holding floor meetings, going to what was called joint council which was a bi-weekly meeting of all coordinators, and attending hall council meetings which were meetings of all the coordinators in Kelsey Hall. I had been a proxy for my coordinator a couple times, but it was a steep learning curve. To add to the uncertainty, I was given no indication how the following year would unfold, not even what day or time to come back to res in the Fall.
Going home
While these two things were going on, the clock was ticking down on what to do when the school year ended and summer started. I had toyed with the idea of trying to stick around Edmonton for the summer and go to summer school. However, there was just too much I didn’t know – like where to live.
While these two things were going on, the clock was ticking down on what to do when the school year ended and summer started. I had toyed with the idea of trying to stick around Edmonton for the summer and go to summer school. However, there was just too much I didn’t know – like where to live.
So, I was consigned to the fact I was heading home to the farm, and this amazing year would be over, gone and done with, as quickly as it had started.
Once I knew for certain I was going home, which was pretty much a foregone conclusion to everybody but me, my Mom told me she had talked to the Gergeleys. I had worked for them at their greenhouse the last two years of high school, and my Mom was currently working for them.
So once I got back to the farm, it was back to the greenhouse too.
Through all these things, I remember hearing “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman in res, on the farm and at the greenhouse.
The song
“Fast Car” came out in April of 1988, and quickly moved up the charts. It went all the way to number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Chapman won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Folk Album for her self-titled debut “Tracy Chapman”.
“Fast Car” came out in April of 1988, and quickly moved up the charts. It went all the way to number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Chapman won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Folk Album for her self-titled debut “Tracy Chapman”.
The years after
Tracy Chapman had another big single in 1995 called “Give Me One Reason” from her aptly titled album “New Beginning”. It went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.
Tracy Chapman had another big single in 1995 called “Give Me One Reason” from her aptly titled album “New Beginning”. It went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.
It had been so long since I heard Tracy Chapamn, I wondered if it was the same one.
It was.
Then, Luke Combs released his cover of “Fast Car” in 2023 as a country song, and it went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Sings chart. It also earned Chapman the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year.
Parting thoughts
Usually when I hear a song, it takes me back to a particular place in time. Because of when it came out, when I hear Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, I am taken back to three places in my life that were all happening simultaneously.
Usually when I hear a song, it takes me back to a particular place in time. Because of when it came out, when I hear Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, I am taken back to three places in my life that were all happening simultaneously.
It really was a time of transition, and “Fast Car” was part of the soundtrack of that time.
No comments:
Post a Comment