Fast Car — Tracy Chapman

Artist: Tracy Chapman

Title: Fast Car

Year: 1988

Composer: Tracy Chapman

Genre: Pop, Folk, Blues

In selecting music about social issues and women's history, Tracy Chapman's 1988 hit Fast Car reflects on the experience of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and gentrification. Though Chapman's song is considered a Pop hit, it is best described as folk or blues due to its tone. Primarily through this tone and its lyrics, Fast Car resonates with audiences who are struggling to escape poverty. The song describes two people who plan to leave their dark days behind.

In the first verse, Chapman addresses her desperation to escape her current situation with "ticket to anywhere," "any place is better," and "starting from zero, we got nothing to lose." These lines carry a somber connotation, indicating that Chapman is miserable. That said, she appears hopeful that there are more opportunities, which motivates her to make this deal with her partner. Racial inequities exist at every level throughout our country, creating an unbreakable glass ceiling. In Tampa Bay, for one, Black workers are one-and-a-half times more likely than their white counterparts to be unemployed in Tampa Bay. With such systemic racism and poverty, it is virtually impossible to achieve upward mobility.

Moving on to the second verse, "working at the convenience store / managed to save just a little bit of money" reflects the meager wages offered at service jobs. Notably, blue collar, hard labor jobs are the only ones available to many throughout the country. These low-paying jobs barely allow Black residents to afford the cost of living in their cities, if at all. Notwithstanding, they "won't have to drive too far / just 'cross the border and into the city" to find other opportunities. Away from the marginalized, predominantly Black communities, are flourishing neighborhoods full of opportunities. For many, the dream is to "buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs."

By the fifth verse, Chapman discloses that her partner developed alcoholism and is not very involved in their children's lives. Despite her best efforts, the systems in which she lives did not truly permit her the opportunities to escape the vicious cycle of poverty. These somber themes are heard throughout the song's instrumentation as well. Similar to the devastation and entrapment described through the lyrics, most of the song maintains a slow and steady eight-count beat. This only changes twice with each chorus, where a more upbeat eight-count plays with a louder percussion. The chorus is when Chapman reminisces on the youthful, vibrant energy of her past. However, because she feels this is gone and her dreams are unattainable, the song ends with the same previous slow instrumentation.

Connection to Playlist

Chapman's Fast Car is a well-known song from the 80s, so this connection to social issues is not new. Regardless, it is moving to know that millions of people relate to this song, as it can unite people of different backgrounds. In a playlist entitled Gold, God, and Glory, this song may add to the exploration of social inequities engrained in American society. Further, Fast Car can inspire reflection on the struggles shared by women in disproving gender stereotypes in the workplace and the home. The connection to God is found in the deep longing for a better life. Oftentimes, out of desperation, we turn to the supernatural to help us escape our hardships.

Resources

Genius, Fast Car - Lyrics, https://genius.com/Tracy-chapman-fast-car-lyrics.

Sara DiNatale, Tampa Bay Study Shows Deep Inequities Between Black and white Residents, https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2020/08/21/tampa-bay-study-shows-deep-inequities-between-black-and-white-residents/.

Tracy Chapman, Fast Car, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOAlaACuv4.