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TL;DR:

  • “Fast Car” singer Tracy Chapman said there’s a reason she writes songs and not books.
  • “Fast Car” became a top 10 hit in the United States.
  • The song inspired a hit dance cover and a hit country cover.

One of the most famous classic rock songs to come out of the 1980s is Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Chapman revealed why she doesn’t like interpreting her songs. Despite this, she feels some of her songs have recurring themes.

‘Fast Car’ singer Tracy Chapman said once you completely explain a song ‘it’s gone’

During a 1988 interview with Spin, Chapman revealed why it was difficult for her to discuss “Fast Car” and her other songs. “It’s hard to be a commentator on your own work and try to analyze what you’ve written when sometimes you don’t even know what you’ve done,” she said. “That’s why I write songs and I don’t write books. People always want to know about the person that writes, and the easiest thing to do is assume that they write about themselves and that you can gain insight into what the writer thinks and feels. But that’s not necessarily true.

“In songs, you take on different personas and different characters, and try and put yourself in their place,” Chapman added. “Plus, I think that if you go about explaining everything about a song, it’s gone.”

Tracy Chapman said she likes writing songs about how people are too passive

Despite Chapman’s comment, she said her song had some recurring themes. “I’m concerned with how the individual finds his or her way in the world, and what they do when they realize they’re either in or out,” she said. “I have a lot of concern over the fact that people are generally very passive in their lives.”

Chapman said it was sometimes people’s responsibility to take action. She said her song “Behind the Wall” is a song “about what do you do when you intervene.”

‘Fast Car’ performed well on the pop charts in the United States and inspired many covers

“Fast Car” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 21 weeks. It was Chapman’s biggest single besides “Give Me One Reason,” which hit No. 3 and stayed on the chart for 39 weeks.

“Fast Car” appeared on Chapman’s album Tracy Chapman. The record reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a week, staying on the chart for a total of 61 weeks. Chapman’s self-titled album was her only chart-topper in the United States.

Since then, “Fast Car” became one of the biggest standards to come out of the 1980s. Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, Khalid, Boyce Avenue, and others performed the track. Two covers of “Fast Car” became hits in their own right. One was an EDM cover by Jonas Blue and Dakota and the other was a country cover by Luke Combs. “Fast Car” wasn’t one of the biggest hits of the 1980s but it struck a chord with the public.

“Fast Car” is a great song even if Chapman would rather let fans interpret it themselves.

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