Tracy Chapman’s 1988 breakout single “Fast Car” is one of the best songs ever written.
The gentle guitar hook that has played on radio stations for decades hasn’t lost an inch of its melancholy. Likewise, the lyrics still shatter us whenever we hear them, telling a fully realized narrative about a woman who works to support her ailing, alcoholic father after her mother abandoned them. Then the woman leaves town with a new flame, only to find herself in a similar position later with a husband who stays out all night drinking while she supports their children with another dead-end job. All this is conveyed with fewer words than even Hemingway would use — and is brought to bear with soulful vocals and restrained instrumentation.
The song is experiencing quite the comeback these days, as country artist Luke Combs has released a cover that recently surpassed the original’s peak position on the Billboard Hot 100, per Consequence of Sound. It’s a good cover, and props to Combs for avoiding the dreaded gender swap that many artists can’t resist when making a cover: Combs still narrates the song as a woman, and the country singer manages an authentic desperation similar to Chapman’s when he brings the chorus home with “I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone.”
Combs’ recent success has many people wondering what happened to the original artist. Chapman hasn’t released a studio album since 2008’s Our Bright Future. And since she maintains a strong separation between her personal and professional life (unsurprisingly, Chapman’s not on social media), there’s little to tell beyond her brief 2020 appearance in a pre-recorded performance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. There, she sang “Talkin’ bout a Revolution” on the eve of the presidential election.
Beyond that, Chapman is known to be a social and political activist. In a 2008 interview with NPR, she said:
“I’m approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way. And I look at those requests and I basically try to do what I can. And I have certain interests of my own, generally an interest in human rights.”
The latest news we have is from April of this year, when the South African Presidency bestowed Chapman with its national Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Silver. According to an announcement, the honor “recognizes eminent foreign nationals for friendship shown to South Africa. It is therefore an Order of peace, cooperation and active expression of solidarity and support.” Specifically, the South African Presidency recognized Chapman “for her contribution to the fight for freedom by participating in efforts to free Nelson Mandela and raising awareness of human rights violations globally.”
It’s heartening to know that a young woman who grew up destitute in Cleveland, Ohio, has by now had her voice heard and validated across continents. Even if Chapman doesn’t release another album, we’ll still think of her towering example every time we hear those familiar words: be someone.
