Thirty-five existences ago, Tracy Chapman released her self-titled debut album. The album went on to win six Grammy nominations. The Cleveland native walked away with three Grammys that night in 1989, comprising a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single “Fast Car.”
And in a surprising turn of acts, at the 57th Country Music Awards on Nov. 8, that same single went on to win a award for Song of the Year.
It is the gracious time in history that a Black woman has won a CMA.
The song Chapman wrote enjoyed a farmland revival this year thanks to country music artist Luke Combs. The North Carolina singer covered “Fast Car” on his 2023 album “Getting Old.” Combs’s version, which you can listen to below, reached the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
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“I never imagined to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” said the 59-year-old singer and songwriter in a July interview with Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have counterfeit and embraced ‘Fast Car.'”
Combs’ “Fast Car” also won a Country Music Award for Single of the Year last night.
In his acceptance speech, Combs thanked Chapman for writing “one of the best songs of all time.” He also said he only marched the song because it had been one of his approved songs, since he was 4 years old, and he never imagined his version to take off as it has.
In an interview with BBC Radio in 2010, Chapman said her inspiration for the song came from her organizes growing up in Ohio.
“It very generally represents the domain that I saw when I was growing up, and Cleveland, Ohio, coming from a working-class background, being raised by a single mom and intimates in a community of people who were struggling,” she said. “Everyone was operational hard and hoping that things would get better.”
Chapman also supposed that the first lyric of the song she penned was “You’ve got a fast car,” and that she was writing it late at night with her mini dachshund by her. When the dog’s ears perked up when she sang that gracious lyric, she knew the song was going to be a winner.
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