The Story Behind The Song: How Tracy Chapman created ‘Fast Car’

The Story Behind The Song

Released in 1988 at the height of hair metal, few expected ‘Fast Car’, a socially-conscious acoustic ballad about two young lovers yearning for a new life, to be a hit. And yet, on release, it soared to the top of the charts, cementing Tracy Chapman as one of the most promising young songwriters in America. Join us, then, as we tell the story of this modern American standard.

When Chapman sat down to write ‘Fast Car’, she was still an unknown singer-songwriter playing the bars and cafes around Tufts University. Discussing the inspiration behind the track on the BBC World Service back in 2010, she explained that, like so many of the tracks on her debut album, ‘Fast Car’ was an attempt to capture “the world as I saw it when I was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio”. It was here where Chapman was raised by a single mom in “a community of people who were struggling”, where everyone was “working hard” and “hoping that things would get better”.

OAKLAND, CA-SEPTEMBER 23: Tracy Chapman performs as part of the Amnesty International Concert at the Oakland Coliseum on September 23, 1988. (Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns)GETTY IMAGES

Chapman wrote the track late one evening in 1986. “I had a small dog, a Miniature Dachshund, and the dog was staying up with me,” she explained. “She didn’t always stay up if I stayed up late, I think she was sitting on the couch right next to me, when I first started writing the music and the first few lyrics, I think the first part of the song that came to me was the first line ‘You’ve got a fast car…’”

With that, the dog’s ears pricked up. Clearly, she knew Tracy was on to a winner. At this stage, Chapman had no real idea who she was writing the song about, though she would later ponder if she’d been thinking about her parents when they were young, their first meeting and their desire to start a new life together. Neither of them had much in the way of education, so life was hard. Of course, that didn’t stop them from yearning for more. The lyrics kept on coming, and soon Chapman had a finished song on her hands.

‘Fast Car’ was one of the songs Chapman performed at the Cappucino coffeehouse the day she was discovered by Tufts University student Brian Koppelman, the son of music publisher Charles Koppelman. Blown away by the performance, Koppelman approached the singer-songwriter after the show. “‘I don’t normally do this,’” he began, “‘But I think my father could help you a lot.’” Chapman wasn’t all that impressed, nodding along politely before excusing herself and going home.

Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman

Eventually, Chapman agreed to sit down with Koppelman, signing with Elektra shortly afterwards. When Tracy’s producer, David Kershembaum, heard a rough cut of ‘Fast Car’ he nearly fell off his chair. Together, they quickly set about tracking Chapman’s guitar and vocals. A smattering of light percussion was added in to pull things together, and that was that.

Well, actually, they needed to get Elektra’s approval for the track to be included on Chapman’s debut album, which proved challenging. Electkta felt the whole coffeehouse aesthetic was way out of date and even requested that the first verse be cut down. David Kershembaum acquiesced and trimmed the track but quickly found that doing so disrupted the flow of the whole song. Chapman’s songs were stories, and they needed to be told in full. In the end, Chapman and Kershembaum convinced Elektra to reconsider. And with that, ‘Fast Car’ was ready for release.