'Fast Car': Luke Combs' Cover Was Something Tracy Chapman 'Never Expected'
By Kelly Fisher
July 7, 2023
Tracy Chapman never imagined her classic 1980s ballad would become a smash-hit country single.
Earlier this year, Luke Combs released his version of “Fast Car” on his highly-anticipated 18-track album, Gettin’ Old, the follow-up project to 2022’s Growin’ Up. Combs’ “Fast Car,” the sole cover song on the track list, quickly became a fan-favorite highlight on the reigning iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Album of the Year winner’s collection.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman, the original artist and writer of “Fast Car,” said in a statement to Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Gettin’ Old made its long-awaited debut in March, just as Combs kicked off his ongoing, massive world tour. Along with “Fast Car,” the album includes “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” “Hannah Ford Road,” “Still,” “Tattoo on a Sunburn,” “Love You Anyway,” “5 Leaf Clover” and more. Combs previously shared that his dad inspired him to cover “Fast Car,” remembering that he introduced the now-superstar to the song during his childhood.
“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now,” Combs previously explained of his latest album. “One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through. It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record and I hope you love it as much as we do.”
Listen to both versions of “Fast Car” below.