Always loved the song. And Chapman. And Joan Armatrading.
Posted on 02/05/2024 12:41:37 PM PST by Rummyfan
Using only her art, the legendary Tracy Chapman took to the Grammy stage Sunday night and made the most American of statements.
The story behind Chapman’s iconic, Grammy-winning hit “Fast Car” dates back 36 years to 1988, when it was first released. She was only 23 then, but in the synthesized-saxophoned eighties, “Fast Car” was something all its own.
The Clevelend-born Chapman was lucky. America was still a young country then, a country eager to embrace The New, an anxious culture always glancing over the shoulder of the latest superstar, eager for whatever was next.
The stagnant America we live in today, a culture crippled by nostalgia that still watches Law & Order, anticipates the next Star Wars movie, attends Rolling Stones concerts, and pays to see an 80-year-old play Indiana Jones was inconceivable then. And so, during a year that gave us “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Milli Vanilli, and Tiffany, seemingly from nowhere came this beautiful, moving, and vivid folk-rock song, a young woman’s desperate lament to escape the quicksand of poverty and “be someone, be someone.”
...
Throughout her life, Chapman was having none of it when it came to fame. She kept her personal life personal, quietly supported her causes, and turned down untold riches from rap artists who sought to sample her music — and when Nikki Minaj did so without permission, Chapman sued and won $450,000.
....
But in the realm of “having none of it,” nothing will ever top the moment when Tracy Chapman’s humanity met America’s modern-day culture — this obscene, cancerous, ignorant, smug, divisive, oversharing, narcissistic, mean-spirited glob of hate and stupidity.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Always loved the song. And Chapman. And Joan Armatrading.
I like this version better than the first.
Age is good. She’s even more attractive now, and sings even better.
That was really good. Could have done without Taylor Swifts big yap right in the middle.
One, the song was pretty good, well played and sung and performed, nice enough melody, rhythm etc..
Two, it was so maudlin and mawkish.
I always think of that when I hear the song
Me too.
I liked this song a lot when it came out. I even bought the cassette for my car. It’s a great song with a timeless message.
I had no idea it was covered and no knowledge of any controversy over it. Glad the two performers brought an implied message of unity to the performance. The country needs more shows of unity during these very divisive times.
Absolutely. I also love her "Give Me One Reason".
Tracy Chapman & Eric Clapton, Give Me One Reason
https://youtu.be/6HspEMXPU7k?si=-_69gAXor8lzzT76
A better song, IMHO.
Doing their part to Make America Great Again. (I like the idea of the greatest of America not all depending on politics).
A great song, probably the best one hit wonder, and that is nothing against Tracy.
Two-hit wonder.
Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason (Official Music Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6hQ9HSKlIE
What was the other hit?
Never heard this song before so forgive me if I don’t get it. Nothing special about it, not to me at least. Why all the fuss? Some white dude comes along and covers the song. It wins a Grammy (like...so what) and now this performance is one of the greatest in Grammy history? And the song is great Americana? Oh well. I suppose it is far better than Rap and current Pop. Shrug.
Pretty cool.
Wow, Emily Yahr at the Washington Post is a real downer. Don’t invite her to the party, that’s for sure.
I do like ‘Give Me One Reason’ much, much better than ‘Fast Car.’
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