Luke Combs Fast Car is a cover of the classic song originally recorded by Tracy Chapman in 1988. In Combs version, he sings about wanting to escape from his everyday life by driving anywhere with his love in a fast car. He wants to leave behind all of the pressures and responsibilities of reality.
The lyrics describe the desire to abandon everyday routines and problems by driving off towards a new adventure with nothing but an open road ahead. Combs sings about the freedom of traveling at high speeds with no planned destination in mind except being with the one you love. His cover captures the nostalgic feeling of wanting to get away from it all through driving together carefree.
For the full lyrics to Luke Combs’ ‘Fast Car’, see below!
What has Luke Combs said about ‘Fast Car’?
Luke Combs has stressed how much “Fast Car” means to him. He calls it his “first favourite song probably ever.” Combs remembers listening to it with his dad in their truck. He was only four years old at the time. His dad had the song on a cassette tape.
They listened in their old brown camper top F-150 truck. Speaking to Smooth Radio, Combs explained why he decided to record “Fast Car.” It has always been one of his favorites. He covered it in college and played it at home. Combs also did a video of the song in 2020 during lockdown. He thought it would be cool to do an official version because of its big part in his life.
Luke Combs – Fast Car (Official Live Video)
[Luke Combs Fast Car Lyrics]
You got a fast car
And I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Summary
The singer expresses a desire to escape their current situation using the romantic image of jumping in the Fast Car. They want the freedom and thrill of driving anywhere together without a plan or commitment to return. The car represents mobility and the ability to leave everyday drudgery behind at speed.
Getting into the fast car lyrics with their love interest implies the chance for a new start, where together they have the power to journey to unknown places and create opportunities that are currently out of reach. The car becomes a symbol of independence and wanderlust fulfilled through driving towards an open horizon alongside the person that matters most.
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[Lyrics 2 : Luke Combs]
Any place is better
Starting from zero, got nothing to lose
Maybe we’ll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
Summary
The singer believes that leaving their current situation behind offers nothing but benefit, as they currently have little to show for their efforts. By hitting the road with their passenger, they are metaphorically starting over with a blank slate and freedom from any baggage or expectations that were weighing them down.
Setting out aimlessly in the fast car lyrics presents a chance to forge a new path together unencumbered by past failures or obligations. Both characters seem disillusioned by where they are now but belief the open road offers hope, and through teamwork and support of each other they can build something better than what was left behind. A new chapter awaits if they take the opportunity to flee together.
[Lyrics 3 : Luke Combs]
You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I’ve been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Summary
The speaker has been diligently saving up just a small amount of money from their job at a convenience store. This money represents their ticket to a new future, a plan to escape the present situation. They are relying on the Fast Car and its promise of freedom and mobility to transport them away from the drudgery of their current circumstances.
While the job provides a means to an end, the goal has always been getting into the Fast Car and leaving town with their love behind the wheel. The cash saved up will allow them to ride off together towards the open road and whatever adventures may come. Through teamwork and shared dreams, the funds and vehicle become the symbols of hopes for an alternative life away from the struggles of the past.
[Lyrics 4 : Luke Combs]
Won’t have to drive too far
Just across the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
Finally, see what it means to be living
Summary
The location described as just across the border suggests aiming for a new city that is relatively close, within driving distance in the fast car. This implies the desire to leave problems behind while avoiding too drastic of a change. With new jobs, the characters hope to experience financial stability and independence, truly understanding what it means to support oneself and each other through their own means.
Rather than facing struggles, the city provides the opportunity for steady work that allows the free-spirited travelers to settle into a more conventional lifestyle. United through sharing a home and careers, their bond deepens as life settles into familiar routines contrasting the uncertainty of the open road. Real living becomes finding purpose together somewhere new.
[Lyrics 5 : Luke Combs]
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
Summary
The speaker alludes to family troubles at home, with their father struggling with alcoholism as a means to escape hardships. His addictions have made him unreliable, and likely contributed to financial instability. Additionally, the man feels too old to find employment despite being too young for his worn appearance. This toxic environment motivates the desire to leave.
Witnessing the effects of a difficult life has likely jaded the singer at a young age. Leaving in the fast car presents not only a romantic adventure but a chance to avoid replicating the same pattern and instead forge one’s own healthy path. The dysfunctional father figures into the need to gain distance, build a stable relationship, and view independence as a vehicle for self-improvement rather than self-destruction.
[Lyrics 6 : Luke Combs]
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
Summary
The mother could no longer endure the father’s declining situation and absence of opportunity, choosing to pursue her own ambitions elsewhere. This left the care of the man to his child, forcing difficult responsibilities. As the oldest offspring, duty called them to abandon their own growth by discontinuing formal education to look after the familial hardships.
Sacrificing potential and personal dreams shows the speaker’s sense of loyalty, though also reflects the unfortunate lack of support structures. Wanting to fulfill a child’s duties despite their own tender age illustrates the premature maturity pressing circumstances demanded. By driving away in the fast car, the chance arises to restore a sense of adolescence never truly experienced due to shouldering adult burdens too soon.
[Lyrics 7 : Luke Combs]
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
Still gotta make a decision
Leave tonight, or live and die this way
Among Luke Combs’ songs, “Doin’ This” stands out as one of the only tracks he has recorded that he did not co-write. Another is the neo-Western style song “Where The Wild Things Are“, which similarly featured on his album Gettin’ Old. Both songs diverge from Combs’ usual approach of collaborative songwriting, making their inclusion on the project noteworthy.
Summary
They wonder if the fast car can help. Can it take them far away? A choice must be made now. Do they go tonight for a new start? Or stay as always in this hard place.
Leave in the car or stay putting up with life here? It’s a big choice to make. Go for freedom or remain like before? Their future depends on this pick. The car waits to hear fly away or not. What will they decide – a new road or the same road.
[Lyrics 8 : Luke Combs]
So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder
And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged
I, I, I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
Summary
They drove fast in the car before. Going so fast felt fun. Lights from the city shone bright ahead. Her arm on him felt good there. For once he felt right, like he fit in.
Riding with her by his side, he felt maybe he could do something with his life. Not just stay stuck but be okay on his own. With her support, a new future seemed within reach if he stayed with this girl in the fast car.
[Lyrics 9 : Luke Combs]
You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain’t got a job
So I work in a market as a checkout girl
Summary
The fast car allows them to drive around and enjoy each other’s company. It provides a fun escape from reality. However, he remains unemployed, so the financial responsibilities fall on her. She works at the local market, scanning items at the checkout to fund their current lifestyle.
While their car brings moments of joy and adventure, the reality is that the situation is untenable long-term. She cannot solely support them indefinitely on a checkout girl’s salary if he does not find a job. There needs to be a more sturdy economic foundation for their future together. The fast car’s thrills cannot last if underlying practical matters are not addressed and a sustainable path forward planned.
[Lyrics 10 : Luke Combs]
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, live in the suburbs
Summary
She expresses optimism that with time, their circumstances will improve. She assurance that he will find steady employment, allowing them to better support themselves. In addition, with work experience, she herself will advance to higher positions.
This dual income will grant financial stability to move on from shelters. A new chapter in suburbs within their future seems visible. With growth will come independence as they procure a larger home together. Hardship will surrender to comfort if they continue striving towards these foreseeably achievable goals. Progress depends on maintaining this shared drive and faith in each other.
[Lyrics 11 : Luke Combs]
So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder
And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged
I, I, I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
Summary
Recollection of past moments in the car arise, when speeds were thrilling and intoxicating. Before them, the cityscape sparkled endlessly in a blur of lights. In that instance, ensconced by his arm around, feelings of acceptance emerged within her.
For the first time, a sense of belonging and potentials developed. Possibilities appeared that she may become a person of consequence in her own right. His support encouraged vision of breaking from origins and carving an identity. Their bond nurtured hope that a life worth living could be made real through companionship on drives into the night.
[Lyrics 12 : Luke Combs]
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
Summary
While he owns a fast car, she works to provide for their economic needs and handles responsibility single-handedly. With her stable job, all obligations are covered. Meanwhile, he remains out late socializing at bars, prioritizing bonding with peers over family time.
As a result, their children receive less of his presence than others receive of his company. Parental duties are neglected as nights are spent outside the home. An imbalance has formed in commitment to the family versus personal interests. Unless adjustments are made, challenges for their unity may arise from this disparity in priorities and roles.
[Lyrics 13 : Luke Combs]
I’d always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans, I ain’t going nowhere
Take your fast car and keep on driving
Summary
She had envisioned a promising future if they stayed united in effort. A belief existed that as a team, opportunities would materialize allowing progress. However, circumstances have stagnated with no goals ahead.
No further attempts will be made to rebuild what’s broken. The fast car she once relied upon for refuge now symbolizes an old chapter ending. While departure instills loneliness, it provides closure to continue independently in search of her own stability and happiness apart from unreliable companionship. A new day begins with only the open road left to navigate solo.
[Lyrics 14 : Luke Combs]
So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder
And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged
I, I, I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
Summary
Reflecting on past drives together, she recalls the thrill of speeding along, a rushing sensation akin to intoxication. Sprawling cityscapes unwound endlessly ahead in a dazzle of lights. In those moments, finding solace in his comforting arm around, feelings arose of fitting in and security.
For the first time, hopes blossomed of emerging from obscurity and developing an identity of her own making. His faith in her potential fueled visions of pursuing aspirations instead of predetermined paths. Nights riding beside him nurtured seeds of self-assurance that a purposeful life could be carved out if she continued walking forward hand in hand with this support.
[Lyrics 15 : Luke Combs]
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough, so you can fly away?
You still gotta make a decision
Leave tonight, or live and die this way
Summary
Their fast car represents a ticket to escaping current circumstances. However, its speed alone cannot determine their future – a choice is required. To seize this chance or maintain the problematic status quo, a definitive choice must be made.
Leaving under cover of nightfall would launch a new beginning down unknown routes. Yet remaining stagnates lives in unhappiness. This decision with lifelong impact cannot be postponed. Their well-being and very survival depends on mustering bravery to either flee hardships or continue enduring them endlessly. A crossroads is reached, and the car waits for the answer of its accelerating direction to flee or remain.
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Final Thoughts
Luke Combs’ connection to Fast Car runs deep through fond childhood memories of riding with his father. Revisiting the lyrics now evokes nostalgia for family bonds. His recording pays homage to this special song’s impact throughout his life’s journey. Combs honors Tracy Chapman’s poignant narrative and the role music plays in intergenerational connections.
By including Fast Car in his live shows, Combs ensures generations to come experience the raw emotion of the lyrics. Fans both new and old gain insight into his roots through this tribute. Its themes of resilience and dreams resonate as strongly as when first heard on the radio long ago. Luke Combs keeps the spirit of the song alive through his heartfelt renditions of Tracy Chapman’s immortalization of the Fast Car lyrics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Fast Car, Luke Combs?
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone,” Luke Combs sings yearningly on Fast Car, a song about escaping from poverty that was first made famous by its writer, Tracy Chapman, in 1988.
Did Fast Car win a Grammy?
Fast Car garnered three Grammy nominations including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and took home the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Why is Fast Car so popular?
Chapman’s appearance on the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute helped the song become a top-ten hit in the United States, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who wrote Fast Car originally?
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles “Fast Car” and “Give Me One Reason“. She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987.
