Country star Luke Combs’ decision to cover Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car certainly paid off for him, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being nominated for a Grammy. He even ended up duetting with Chapman on the song at the 2024 Grammy Awards Ceremony.
All of which makes it easy to understand why Combs was so mortified to discover that his version actually features a mis-sung lyric. And to make matters worse, it was Tracy Chapman herself who pointed this out to him.
In a fan video posted to TikTok from a recent concert, Combs reveals that the offending line was “We gotta make a decision”. He recorded it as “Still gotta make a decision”.
@andreagreenwood3 ♬ original sound - Andrea Greenwood
Combs goes on to recall his horror when Chapman explained this: “That was the first time that I knew that I recorded the song incorrectly,” he said. “It was her telling me that. Because I remember, when she said that, I wanted to crawl into a hole."
Chapman didn’t take offence, though: “Luckily, she was awesome about it,” says Combs. “And I think about it every single time that I sing the song, and I will think about it every single time I sing this song for the rest of my whole life.”
What’s more, now that he knows the real lyric he’s going to sing it properly - “Because Tracy Chapman told me to, and dammit, I’m gonna do it.”
Originally released in 1988, Fast Car became a hit for Luke Combs in 2023. As well as placing high on the Billboard Hot 100, it also topped the Country Airplay chart.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honoured to be there,” Chapman told Billboard when news of this achievement reached her. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced Fast Car.”
