“Fast Car”
Single by Tracy Chapman from the album Tracy Chapman
B-side	"For You"
Released	June 1988
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	1987
Genre	Rock/Acoustic Rock/Contemporary Folk
Length	4:56
Label	Elektra Records
Producer	David Kershenbaum
Tracy Chapman singles chronology
- "Fast Car" (1988) "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" (1988)

"Fast Car" is a Grammy-winning song by the American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her singles " Fast Car " " Tracy Chapman is the Self-titled debut Album by Singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s A gramophone A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Acoustic music refers to music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means as opposed to Electronic means Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Elektra Records is a now-dormant American Record label owned by Warner Music Group (WMG and from 2004 on operating under WMG's Atlantic Records In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Biography and Career David Kershenbaum is an American record producer and entrepreneur Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her singles " Fast Car " " " Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution' " is the second single from American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her singles " Fast Car " " It was released on her self-titled 1988 debut Tracy Chapman. Tracy Chapman is the Self-titled debut Album by Singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music Her appearance on the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was the catalyst for the song becoming a Top 5 hit in the US, peaking at #5 on the Hot 100, and a top 10 hit the UK, reaching #6 on the UK chart. The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was a global broadcast event staged on June 11, 1988 at the Wembley Stadium, London The song was nominated for several Grammies including the Grammy for "Song Of The Year" and "Record Of The Year". The song won a Grammy for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Chart performance 3 Cover versions 4 References

Lyrics

The song is a complex narrative tale of generational poverty. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and The song's narrator tells the story of her hard life, which began when her mother divorced her jobless, alcoholic father, and the narrator quit school to care for him. Eventually, she decides to leave her hometown with her boyfriend in hopes of making a better life for themselves. Despite her obtaining employment at a grocery store, she falls victim to the cycle of poverty, as her life begins to mirror her mother's; her boyfriend remains largely unemployed and becomes a heavy drinker who spends more nights drinking with his friends than he does with her and their children. In Economics, the cycle of poverty is the "set of factors or events by which poverty once started is likely to continue unless there is outside intervention Eventually, after getting a job making enough money to cover the expenses of raising a family, she recognizes that though she had wished for a better life, she will have to make the best of her current situation, and tells him to "take your fast car and keep on driving. "

Chart performance

Rolling Stone ranked the song #165 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published It is Chapman's only song on the list and one of top ten songs of the 1980s.

Country	Peak position
The Netherlands[1]	1
Swedish Singles Chart	9
United Kingdom	5
United States	6

Cover versions

The song has been covered many times by bands such as R.E.M., The Flying Pickets, Hundred Reasons, Xiu Xiu, Vertical Horizon, Even Nine, Darwin's Waiting Room, Jesse James, The Love Project, Amazing Transparent Man, Matchbox Twenty, The Wilkinsons and by solo singers Kristian Leontiou, Wayne Wonder, David Usher, Mutya Buena and Hitomi Yaida. The Dutch Top 40 ( Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly Music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40" because the Pirate radio channel Radio Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names is since October 2007 the Swedish national Record chart, based The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar The Flying Pickets is a British A cappella Vocal group, that had a surprise Christmas number one hit in 1983 in the UK singles chart Hundred Reasons are a British rock band from Surrey, composed of Colin Doran (lead vocals Larry Hibbitt (guitar vocals Andy Gilmour (bass Andy Bews (drums Xiu Xiu (ʃuː ʃuː shoe-shoe) is an experimental indie band originally from and currently based in Oakland California, with time often Vertical Horizon is an American Alternative rock band from Washington D Darwin's Waiting Room was an American Nu metal band from Miami, Florida. Jesse James were a Pop punk band from London England. They formed in 2000 and have since toured the UK Europe and Canada The now defunct Amazing Transparent Man were a pop punk band on the Springman Records label from 1997 to 2004. Matchbox Twenty (or MB20, MBT, M20, originally spelled Matchbox 20) is a Grammy-nominated Rock band formed in Orlando The Wilkinsons are a Country music trio hailing from Belleville Ontario, Canada. Kristian Leontiou is a popular English singer songwriter from East London, England. Wayne Wonder (born Von Wayne Charles 26 July 1972, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Reggae / R&B David Usher (born on April 24, 1966) is a British -born rock Singer-songwriter who currently lives in Montreal. born July 28, 1978 in Toyonaka Osaka, Japan is a Japanese J-pop / Folk rock Singer / Songwriter and Guitarist It was also sampled by the rap group Nice & Smooth in their hit song "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow", making it a hit within the hip hop community as well. Nice & Smooth is an East Coast hip hop duo from New York that consists of Greg Nice (Greg Mays and Smooth B (Daryl Barnes

In 1991, British soul singer Gabrielle recorded a demo of her song "Dreams" which featured a sample of "Fast Car". Louise Gabrielle Bobb (born April 16 1970, Hackney) is a multi-platinum selling Brit Award winning English singer who records under the " Dreams " is the debut single from Gabrielle. Written by Gabrielle and Tim Laws and produced by Richie Fermie "Dreams" reached number one on the UK singles When it was released commercially in 1993 the sample of "Fast Car" was removed because of legal issues, but the version with the sample was still being played in nightclubs and DJ sets. Los Angeles based turntablist DJ Quixotic is known to perform a cover of this song by manipulating a tone record on a turntable to imitate the notes of the opening guitar riffs. Quix (often referred to as DJ Quixotic - is a Los Angeles based DJ /producer most notable in the turntablist/scratch dj scene English grime collective Street Politiks also sampled "Fast Car" on their single also called "Fast Car".

Awards
Preceded by Whitney Houston for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"	Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 1989 for "Fast Car"	Succeeded by Bonnie Raitt for "Nick of time"

References

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