Consensus is the rarest gem in a time defined by division. If Tracy Chapman’s recent Grammys rendition of “Fast Car” struck an uncharacteristically harmonious chord across our culture, that alone explains why. “Fast Car” is one of those songs most of us not only know but associate with a cherished memory.
The 1988 original came out in April of that year, setting it up to be a summertime driving anthem – which it became in August, hitting sixth place on the Billboard Top 100 and retaining a place in playlist rotations for many warm seasons after that. That is how country music star Luke Combs fell in love with it, he told his Charlotte, N.C., audience in July.
