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| Tracy Chapman performing at Wembley Stadium |
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car [Wembley 1988]
Dec 3, 2012
Nelson Mandela's 70th Birtday / Wembley
LYRICS
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us outta here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living
See, my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
Take your fast car and keep on driving
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way
THE STORY BEHIND THIS PERFORMANCEStevie Wonder landed in England on the Saturday morning of the concert and went straight to Wembley Stadium, where a room was prepared for him and his band to warm up. He was to appear in the evening after UB40. His appearance had not been announced. UB40 were finishing their set on the main stage, and Wonder's equipment was set up, plugged in and ready to be rolled on after a 10-minute act on a side stage. He was about to walk up the ramp to the stage when it was discovered that the hard disc of his synclavier, carrying all 25 minutes of synthesised music for his act, was missing. He said he could not play without it, turned round, walked down the ramp crying, with his band and other members of his entourage following him, and out of the stadium.There was an urgent need to fill the gap he had left and Tracy Chapman, who had already performed her act, agreed to appear again. The two appearances shot her to stardom, with two songs from her recently-released first album, "Fast Car" and "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution". Before the concert, she had sold about 250,000 albums. In the following two weeks, she was said to have sold two million.
Comments
Just one woman. One guitar. One song. and 60,000 captivated people. What a talent.
I was there Crowd was restless to begin with She stunned every one into silence She was on a side stage Just a filler Incredible performance
I was a teenager attending this concert and remember when she hit the stage! Her voice was mesmerizing and seemed to calm the crowd! Now Im 50 listening to this classic and it never gets old....
My favorite part of this is that you can tell she's probably nervous, but by the last chorus you can see on her face and in her voice that she's just overcome with emotion for nailing this and mesmerizing the crowd. Like when she sings "I had a feeling that I could be someone", it's her seeing that come true right in front of her. Her voice trembles a bit and it makes it so powerful.
In my late 20’s I had an issue with alcohol. My fiancé stuck with me for a long time. As I sobered up I had a lot of depression and regret that came to the surface. One day I asked her to listen to this song with me because I thought the lyrics fit. From my point of view it was about someone with a drinking problem fixing their situation, fixing their relationship and later went on to live a happy life together lol. My ex began to cry and I was like oh what is it? It’s a hopeful song why does this make you cry? She never did explain it. Years later I listened to this song again and now I realize why she was upset. The song is about someone loving someone with a substance abuse issue. They want to love them but they see their life passing them by. They fantasize about leaving but don’t want to leave the person they love. Ultimately, they leave and a few years later my ex did in fact leave me. I suffered a lot of heart ache and guilt. I still do and I imagine I always will. But in an effort to get her back I sobered up completely and got my life back on track. So in a way her leaving saved us both. I still love and miss you E but I know why you left and I hope you’re happy.
For a 1980s piece, this song sounds way ahead of its time in terms of style. Even today it feels like a song that could've been released last year or yesterday.
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| Artist Tracy Chapman |
Tracy Chapman - Talkin' About A Revolution (Official Music Video)
by Tracy Chapman, Nov 13, 2015, Wembley Stadium
TaIkin’ Bout a Revolution Lyrics
[Refrain]
Don't ya know
They're talking about a revolution?
It sounds like a whisper
Don't ya know
They're talking about a revolution?
It sounds like a whisper
[Verse]
While they're standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sittin' around waitin' for a promotion
[Refrain]
Don't ya know?
They're talking about a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take what's theirs
[Bridge]
Don't ya know you better run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh, I said you better run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
“Talkin' Bout a Revolution” is the second single from Tracy Chapman’s 1988 self-titled debut album.Though it didn’t find the same success in the United States as Chapman’s previous single (“Fast Car”) it was a hit internationally, and the song has been a regular musical feature of protests, civil rallies, and sit-ins around the world since its release.Notably, in 2011, it gained heavy radio play in Tunisia during the 28-day period of civil resistance known as the Tunisian Revolution. This led to a full democratisation of the country and sparked a wave of revolution throughout North Africa and the Middle East that came to be known as the Arab Spring.
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| Tracy Chapman performs as part of the the Bammies (Bay Area Music Awards) in 1997 in San Francisco California. | Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images |
Tracy Chapman Was Discovered by
a Classmate at a Protest Rally
Published on January 30, 2023
Some people wonder what Tracy Chapman has been doing since she has not made music in a while. She became famous in the mid-1980s, and it took a while for her to get used to it. However, she was already getting involved in social work before her rise in popularity.
When Chapman was in college, she played songs at a protest rally. One of the people attending the gathering was a classmate. He enjoyed listening to her sing....
Tracy Chapman’s rise to fame
Chapman has been interested in writing songs since she was a young kid. She also learned how to play guitar and would regularly use it during high school. According to her Biography page, she recorded music at the WMFO radio station before her big break in 1986.
That year, a friend’s father helped Chapman get in touch with Elektra Records. The rising musician produced her first album a couple of years later. People quickly recognized her talent, especially once she released her hit single “Fast Car.”
Chapman followed up her success several years later with another album she titled New Beginning. The album also became a major hit, and she enjoyed increased fame well into the 1990s.
Chapman is still well-known for the music she has written over the years. However, she has gained plenty of attention for her political and social activism.
Another student saw Tracy Chapman at a rally
After graduating from high school, Chapman attended Tufts University. She focused on anthropology and African studies while there and continued playing music. According to The Age of Ideas, she gained a following of local fans. One of them was a classmate named Brian Koppelman.
Koppelman is a well-known writer and podcaster. In 1987, he assisted in putting together a protest against apartheid. The boycott was at the school, and he spotted a familiar singer at a coffeehouse.
“Someone told me there was this great protest singer I should get to play at the rally,” Koppelman stated. “Tracy walked onstage, and it was like an epiphany. Her presence, her voice, her songs, her sincerity — it all came across. It was immediately clear to me that she was among the most gifted people walking the earth.”
After the rally, Koppelman spoke with Chapman about her musical talent and had his dad get a record company to sign Chapman. She has had a successful career since then.
Tracy Chapman’s career and social activism
Chapman has created hit songs like “Give Me One Reason” and “Talkin’ bout a Revolution.” The last album she produced was in 2008 called Our Bright Future. She also had a debut single that went platinum and earned multiple award nominations.
Chapman has won four Grammy awards, and her fourth one was in 1997 for Best Rock Song. While she has not written anything else since 2008, she has accumulated a net worth of $8 million. She also is a social activist and has done plenty of work to promote change.
Some people have seen Chapman sing for charities like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In 2003, she performed a duet with Bonnie Raitt for the now-inactive Circle of Life. Organizations have recognized her dedication to social causes.
Chapman’s last public appearance for political activism was on TV. She encouraged viewers to vote in the 2020 election. She prefers to stay out of the spotlight and is not active online.
Tracy Chapman Refuses to Join Social Media
Associated Press | Dec 1, 2015
