Tracy Chapman OWNS this song lock, stock and barrel. Her voice, her performance, her tone, her phrasing drives the story in a quiet yet completely believable manner that is mesmerizing. It is a sad and melancholy story that retells itself in millions of lives. Exquisite in every way.

She sings as though her soul has lived a thousand years.

True story: I grew up outside Boston. I saw Tracey busking in Harvard Square back in 1985, but at the time I had no idea who she was. Just her and her guitar with an open guitar case for donations. Flash forward two years and I was in my dorm at UMass Amherst when I heard this voice singing from down the hall. I stopped by the room it was coming from and asked the two girls who they were listening to and they showed me the album cover. It was her!! Tracey Chapman.

@MsJuliette14

6 ай бұрын

That’s amazing that you saw her in the square and just like that she catapulted into fame.

@pumpkinpie999

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your story ❤

@L8nitedave

5 ай бұрын

Thats a great story and she's unforgettable.

@patriciamurphy6730

5 ай бұрын

Great story.

@airinyourtires2931

4 ай бұрын

i keep forgetting she's from massachusetts! honored to be from the same state as her

I’m 75 yrs. old and I remember distinctly when I first heard “Fast Car” …loved it then and still love it. ❤

@sherryherrick6567

Ай бұрын

Me too. I'm 72.

I appreciate this song so much more as a woman in my mid 50s than I ever did as a girl in my 20s.

@daisylovelock9553

Жыл бұрын

Ditto

@Misitheus

Жыл бұрын

I'm 58 year old dude....but ..yeah... Peace!

@missmarthafawker

Жыл бұрын

I feel the same way

@Torri42ness

Жыл бұрын

Facts.

@Paul-fq4mm

Жыл бұрын

I'm a 38 year old man and I appreciate it more everytime I listen to it...

Tracy Chapman's music is timeless. Her music hits hard every time I listen.

She breaks my heart every time I hear this song. Beautiful and brutal.

@Marnee4191

7 ай бұрын

"Beautiful and brutal" Wow. I couldn't have put it better.

@adamstevens1204

6 ай бұрын

Give me one reason too

@tommymoore8892

4 ай бұрын

"Brutiful"

I cry every time I hear this, memory 💕

'Fast Car' was released in 1988 and flew to the top of the charts, mega hit! The world fell in love with Tracy Chapman, she won a Grammy for this.

@andidreyes5323

Жыл бұрын

She performed for Nelson Mandela. They asked for this song. It translates pretty well across all of the cultures.

@richtigersoan

Жыл бұрын

I was 4 Bruh.... Crazy

@lorihenrytaylor4438

Жыл бұрын

This is one of the best songs ever. I still cry every time I really listen to it. I’m also a singer so it’s a fun one to sing along with

@mjm-7418

Жыл бұрын

@@lorihenrytaylor4438 I cry too.

@vettechsrule

11 ай бұрын

Where did she go?

I used to see her busking at the Harvard Square Subway station in Cambridge, MA. I'd miss quite a few trains listening to her.

@diagonotter

5 ай бұрын

I also lived in Cambridge when she did, used to see her in Bread and Circus

Tracy Chapman is just ……awwwwwww incredible! Meltingly so. ❤❤❤

♥ Tracy Chapman is extraordinary! Now, just a few days ago, 35 years after she released this song, it won "Song of the Year" at the CMAs.

@laurapalka3685

8 ай бұрын

No kidding, I didn't know that! Thanks for sharing that bit of information. I was wondering how, even back then at this recorded performance, how she could sing this song with such emotion each time she sang it. Because imagine she's already sang it many dozens of times in the recording studio, then many more performances before she got onto this stage. Then imagine over the years since then HUNDREDS of times she has sung this song. How can she still put emotion into it? Yet I've heard performances of her since then and each is just as brilliant. That comes from within. Amazing!

@joeypotter6051

7 ай бұрын

@@laurapalka3685 it won "Song of the Year" but it was repopularised because of a cover by Luke Combs that is perfectly adequate but has nowhere near the raw emotion of the original when Tracy sang it. Every time I heard it, I just wanted to hear the original lol.

@susanhumphrey6427

4 ай бұрын

Was the best, or what?! ❤

Tracy Chapman inspired me to get out. My fast car was joining the Army. I'm so glad she had music to get out.

So many layers to this most amazing song! Drunk on pain, drunk on hope, drunk on disappointment... cycle of life, leaving the situation, then repeating it, hoping for better... Tracy Chapman, the Queen of storytelling and that voice!!

@HammockQueen

5 ай бұрын

This is a classic example of betrayal trauma. If you don't get at least a little choked up from this song you have no heart. 😢

She was SO ahead of her time. It's nice to see that we've finally caught up to her. ❤

She invested so much into the men in her life and always refused to give up on them until so much time had already been wasted. Then she tells him to leave when she’s finally had enough. She followed the same pattern as her mother and the cycle repeats itself. Such a powerful song and it’s still relevant to this day.

@firstsurname7099

Жыл бұрын

Sure.... 'pose it could be read like that...

@karmicscope5259

Жыл бұрын

That’s actually not Tracy Chatman’s personal story, but the story of the character in the song.

@patrickcorliss8878

Жыл бұрын

Well put. The character (which I don't imagine is Tracy's own personal experience) starts off with a no-hoper, dead-beat dad and ends up with a no-hoper, dead-beat husband. The kicker is the switch from "we can fly away" to "you can fly away". Great song with great lyrics.

@Jojo-in1wx

Жыл бұрын

Y’all know she’s gay?

@johnrichardirby

Жыл бұрын

@@Jojo-in1wx Yeah. She is now…

As a grandfather, I have always liked this song but I am growing to be heartbroken by it. I envision my granddaughter as the singer. She is a beautiful young woman who has endured many struggles. Some by her own design, some by outside circumstance. But as the song plays on, I see the deadbeat men she keeps associating with. Her struggles to get ahead and their lack of help. My only reprieve comes as in the latter verses she realizes the truth of these men and tells them to ride on and let her live her life. Beautiful song painfully delivered. TY for your reaction.

@diane9247

7 ай бұрын

That was a beautiful reaction, Matt. I, too, have a granddaughter who's had terrible struggles and traumas in her young life. There is nothing I can do but just be here, if and when she decides she wants to get close to someone. Tracy makes me cry starting with the first note. Peace and have a good 2024.

@MsMarple

7 ай бұрын

If only these youth knew how much their grandparents and others care. Live the love you feel for her. Do not give up and keep looking for ways to convince her of that love.

@mermaidmama7880

4 ай бұрын

Tell your granddaughters how proud you are of her courage and strength. I wish my grandfather had expressed those ideas instead of the disappointment I now recall as the emotions I thought they felt toward me .

I understand the reasons, but "I quit school that's what I did" breaks my heart every single time

@thewatchmen4920

6 ай бұрын

The only perfect people who don't make any mistakes are the ones in the ⚰️🪦

@leslierobertsbelkner1428

5 ай бұрын

Agreed! That’s the line that punches you in the gut…

One of the best songs ever written, and her style makes it all the better. The studio version is beautiful too.

Did you see? Fast Car won song of the year at this year’s CMAs! That’s Country Music Awards! A 35 year old song, testament to its and her greatness.

God she's amazing. This song just shatters your heart.

Tracy's performance of Fast Car with country singer Luke Combs at the recent Grammy show was phenomenal. Her shy smile and humble self with his appreciation of her as an artist was magical!

@dianemullen5396

2 ай бұрын

Yes please find this and watch it!

Love Tracy Chapman , beautiful lady and magical voice . No make up , no fake body part , just beautiful Tracy ❤

@debmc2291

8 ай бұрын

She is inside and out

For me she is singing about the lives many live. Hoping to escape and finding another prison. Remembering the dreams of a younger self. Poignant.

@thewatchmen4920

6 ай бұрын

Back in the day. Turning 18yrs old. Leaving 🏚️. Going to college or joining the Military. Hoping you come back home. So many challenges in life. All around the 🌍🌎🌏

Fast Car came out when I was in my 20s and blew UP. Huge hit. It made a much bigger impact on me as I grew older. It’s such a hauntingly beautiful song. Tracy Chapman is just an extraordinary artist.

She was a breath of fresh air in the time of hair bands and electronic music

@nancyp4337

7 ай бұрын

Yes!!! My mom loved her.

Tragically beautiful song. Her voice is soft but hits you hard. Great song

Middle daughter almost chose this path. (Except dad left us) I played this song over and over for her and she stepped out of destruction's way. She did fight her own addictions but now has 4 years clean and 5 years sober. And no weak men in her circle. This song... It means a lot to us.

Tracy Chapman is always a hidden gem for new listeners. I'm so lucky to have grown up with her music.

Her lyrics knit around and enfold you. Tracy is an honest and humble performer with many great albums. What a gift she is! Hope you enjoy the dive.

@englishgoordie

Жыл бұрын

Actually she is supposed to be a absolute nightmare to work with. She pretty much disappeared because nobody would work with her.

Next Tracey song to hear is Baby Can I Hold You Tonight. Another beautiful gem!

@theConquerersMama

Жыл бұрын

Great song

@jennifercortijo9490

Жыл бұрын

That one tears me to pieces.

one of the best written song ever.

Tracy Chapman sings so intimately. Every song, every lyric is different but absolutely real.

She was very shy about her fame. I saw her once live at an Amnesty International concert. She was relatively new to the scene then, but the other acts showed her enormous kindness. She did "Don't Give Up" with Peter Gabriel, and she nailed it. When she was up for her gig, she was backed by Springsteen's E Street band. At one point she looked around at them like she couldn't believe they were there backing her. A grad school friend of mine went to college with Tracy Chapman. Apparently she really is that shy. Want a REALLY amazing female vocalist (and piano player...she originally wanted to be a concert pianist but in those days no chance): Nina Simone. One of the greatest voices in history.

@theConquerersMama

Жыл бұрын

Ohhh, Nina ❤️❤️❤️❤️

@MsAppassionata

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion!

Tracy Chapman is amazing. My favorites from her are: Behind the Wall (A-Capella) Across the Lines Talkin' About a Revolution

@poloreacts27

2 жыл бұрын

Gotta check these out

@Peter-oh3hc

2 жыл бұрын

Great choices

@TehAmelie

2 жыл бұрын

Chapman was never afraid to get real. My foremost recommendation is her cover of "The Times they are A-changing". Without changing a word, she just sings it like she means it; every word considered, deliberate.

@Peter-oh3hc

2 жыл бұрын

@@TehAmelie just listened to it. That was brilliant. Thanks

@EricAndrewDodson

Жыл бұрын

I also nominate Crossroads

She has a way of making people understand other peoples lives as if we’ve lived that way ourselves. Her gift is giving people empathy. I looooove this song. Her story telling skills are unreal

Beautiful... goose-bump producing... so real that it hurts. I'm an old white lady who grew up in Ann Arbor and on Detroit sounds. Tracy Chapman is one of my all time favorites. Laid back... gives us hope but then rips your guts out at the same time. Yes... it is a movie with pain coming. So many, many, many of our kids have lived through this... and some never made it.

Talkin' Bout a Revolution by Tracy brings me tears. She is just great.

I am crushed and emotional every time I hear her sing this song. This wrung me out feeling her optimism despite the hardship, her dream of changing her life, all it would take is just the slightest change of fortune, a hand that reaches out to help. Poverty sucks! Do you not want to just be seen and heard? Nothing that I hear form music today comes close to this incredibly quiet simple song that tears my soul to pieces. To say that this is something that you would listen to while cleaning your house, is probably proof that you have no idea of what she was trying to say. Nice try but here's hoping that you will finally 'get' it.

@txtopaz7997

Жыл бұрын

Beautifully worded.

@jamesw1313

Жыл бұрын

Yes. Absolutely perfectly stated.

@christiaanvandenakker901

Жыл бұрын

To be fair he said that before he heard the final crushing verse when her hope is gone.

@jenniferscott3527

Жыл бұрын

I so felt this comment...well said ❤

I know another artist did it. BUT!!! Nobody can Fast Car like her. She's amazing!!!

Hey fellows if you find a girl out there like this truthful and all, willing to put everything she's got into someone to make a better future together! Go for it, you won't go wrong! What a great voice she has!

@poloreacts27

2 жыл бұрын

facts

@pfcampos7041

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, but treat her better than this guy!

@TheDivayenta

Жыл бұрын

@@ZsaraRealTalk what does sexuality have to do with character? Besides, OP said “ if you find a woman who…..”. He didn’t specify Tracy.

@firstsurname7099

Жыл бұрын

@@pfcampos7041 Which guy?

I used to listen to this on the radio in the 90s as a single mom trapped in a semi-rural community driving my kid to daycare in a beat up brown 80s Plymouth Turismo, wishing I could just keep right on driving right on out of there.

She is an amazing story teller. I really enjoy her music puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart. She is her authentic self and that is beautiful just the way God created her to be.

@Daali

2 жыл бұрын

amen!

35 years later I STILL LOVE Tracy Chapman! Didn’t know her background till I read it here. As always, thank you for listening to and appreciating the ‘soundtrack of my life’. There’re some GREAT songs and artists in there, and Tracy was a fav. She spent awhile during her Tufts College years in my backyard - in and around Boston - which we are very proud of. Btw, she won 3 - that’s THREE Grammies for this song. You bring me back to my early musical loves, but I love the reaction from sensitive musical souls such as yourself. I think you have started a career!

Give Me One Reason is another of her best works. Love Tracy Chapman and have for well over 30 years.

I love this so much. She sings my childhood.

One of those unforgettable songs that feel you're living and not just hearing.

I remember the first time I heard Tracy Chapman (I think it was "Give Me One Reason") she reminded me so much of Bob Dylan in the way her delivery helps to tell the story / makes the words so much more impactful. Love the reactions!

Tracy is a uniquely beautiful and talented woman, a truly wonderful artist 😎

Folk singer, story teller. Let's not look past her guitar playing. Finger playing too strumming and singing. Just her and her guitar. Great stuff man, just GREATNESS

Tracy has been hands down, my absolute favorite artist/musician since I first heard her voice and songs in the late 80's when I was a teenager. Her songs are intricately and amazingly written, and timeless. Her voice is so soulful and beautiful. Her music cuts through to my core and I will never tire of it. Thank you so much for posting this video. 💗

Sometimes your best memory is remembering how much you wanted something.

This song gives me chills every single time I hear her sing it !

Tracy Chapman brings me to tears. Her voice is filled with so much emotion. ❤❤❤

Tracy Chapman is amazing. She has such a unique delivery and sound, beautiful.

@poloreacts27

2 жыл бұрын

I loved the vibe of this track

@scorpionlxvi

7 ай бұрын

Joan armatrading 1970s

Wow, I was a little surprised to hear you say it's the kind of song that puts you in a good mood! I must've heard it hundreds of times when it was a radio hit, and I'd usually end up switching stations because it made me too sad.

Sade is another singer from the same time period who is so smooth and laid back.

Imagine finding a woman like this. Such a beautiful song.

Tracy should be famous. She’s fabulous. Everything she does is deep and meaningful

@megnakamura7652

Жыл бұрын

She is famous.

@dreawearsshoes

7 ай бұрын

Very famous 😊 I listened to her for the last 30 years. She has had hits, for sure

Wait til you hear Revolution, one of the best live performances I've ever heard.

Everything about her voice, her lyrics, I love. As the last lady said...Now I am in my 60's I appreciate the sensitivity in her lyrics. Good on you for stepping out of your comfort zone. All the best and cheers, from Elizabeth in Australia.

Tracy Chapman is one of the most underplayed and unappreciated artists! I have listened to her and still have my albums, cassettes and CDs. I love her voice and as you said, her songs paint a picture in your mind and tells the story of so many people’s lives.

They dont make music like this anymore!! You’re right!!

@ijustwanttonap

7 ай бұрын

Yeah they do. Expand your circles. She is amazing though.

and I love Tracy Chapman's voice

Her voice is one that just gets me every time. I could listen to her sing out of the phone book. Storyteller music was really big in the 90s. I wish it would come back.

From the first time I heard Fast Car on the radio I was in love with Tracy Chapman. I thought she was singing my life out. Bought that album asap, with photos of her, and I thought she was as beautiful looking as her music was beautiful. There’s nothing of Tracy Chapman I don’t love.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Tracy Chapman is a great singer, songwriter With a fantastic voice and intelligent, insightful lyrics. She is a very private person who once said, after the release of her first album, that being famous and in the spotlight didn't suit her, and she might be the wrong person for the job. She is also multifaceted, If you like "Fast Car" try "Give Me One Reason". It's a Blues tune which she performed live for nearly a decade before releasing it.

Love this song Tracy is great , try Reberta Flack First time every I saw your face

This song came out in 1988 when I was 20. I wasn't a fan and didn’t get it back then. Now at 55 and having a lot more life experiences - I get it. Brings tears to my eyes. So many layers.

Yes, Goddess Tracy has always gotten all of the accolades that she deserves🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🌺💝✌️🐿️

Smoke and Ashes is my favorite Tracy Chapman song. Been in love with this phenomenal woman for 35 plus years.

Love, love, love, Tracy Chapman!

Takes me back to my early days in the Air Force. I was stationed in Japan when this came out and I instantly went to the store and bought the cassette (yes I'm that old). Her lyrics are amazing

Tracy Chapman is just amazing. Unique & beautiful voice.

Love Tracy Chapman. Every time we went on a car journey this was played

I remember the first time I heard Tracy on a college radio station in Tampa...I was mesmerized and I kept calling to request it AGAIN till they CUT ME OFF! I just LOVE HER ! Thank you for The reaction! YOU ROCK!!! More Women PLEASE!!💞🕊☮

Her voice is absolutely gorgeous. This song hurts, but delivers in the end. Be free.

This song always hits.

tracy chapmen is one of the greatest songwriters ever, check her catalog.

This song has so much soul. She was a street singer. So talented. I first saw her on SNL in the late 80s early 90s. I can’t believe you’re just now discovering her.

I grew up loving this song and her. This is one of the best songs ever sung by one of the most beautiful and powerful soulful voices ever. Tracy has always been one of my top five favorites overall. ❤ So glad you finally heard it and appreciate it as much as it should be.

Ive loved this song for more than 30 years. It was my anthem for 13 years. Still makes me cry. Shes amazing.

At This Time In My Life is another one of Tracy Chapman's great ones.

We should all care that they don't make music like this anymore. I can't feel today's music. Classics like this go to your soul.

@libbysevicke-jones3160

8 ай бұрын

So true, too much of today’s music is soulless. Commercial crap with very little artistic skill.

❤❤❤ Tracey Chapman! I remember listening to this on the radio when I was 13 and thinking I feel this song! "I gotta plan" "finally see what means to be living" I couldn't wait to own my life instead of being made to live my mother's! Love this song! Check out Give Me One Reason!

All Tracy Chapman is fabulous. Don’t miss any.

so happy shes still getting her recognition. Shes everything good inside and out, what an extraordinary human being. ♥♥

The expression on your face in the first few seconds of this song pretty much says it all. I think what she conveys with her presence and talent reels all of us in who value such beautiful authenticity. No need for bells and whistles when one has such deep roots. Whenever I feel down, there's something about her song "All That You Have Is Your Soul" that puts me right back on track. "don't be tempted by the shiny apple, don't you eat of a bitter fruit, hunger only for a taste of justice, hunger only for a world of truth".

@TheDivayenta

9 ай бұрын

Bam that hit me hard tonight 😢

One of my top 10 favorite songs of all time. I didn't really appreciate it when I was younger, but as I grow older my appreciation for it has grown and grown. A stunning piece of music, performance and lyrics.

It’s such a beautiful song, her voice, her guitar. The hope, the heartbreak, and the fast car. ♥️✌️ Thank you, Tracy, for this gift.

Tracy Chapman came out with Fast Car in the 80s. Bought the album immediately and was in love with her voice and her truth. I think it was the Grammy awards...she walked out on stage in bare feet with her guitar and blew the roof off.! Brought me to tears.😇❤️

She just won a CMA for songwriting ❤

The whole album was great. Every "little" song. A masterpiece.

She is one of the best. Underrated in general. Maybe because she is just herself instead of glitzed up.

She always comes across as a genuine artist not one of those music industry projects, truly appreciated.

This is, was and always will be a magnificent song.

i adore this song so much and tracy chapman in general, she has such a beautiful voice and such powerful words

Saw this young lady live in Harare, Zimbabwe at the Human Rights Concert in October 1988..... I lived there for over 30+ years from 1965 - 1999. But that Concert was really good!

Glad you noticed right away... She's perfect. Deliberate. Honest. Got to see her at the first Lilith Fair. My son bought me the tickets for my birthday; he was barely out of high school. ❤❤❤