Focus On Lyrics

For some songs, it’s the mix of all its elements - song form, melody, chord progression, rhythm, arrangement, etc. - that add up to make a song work.

And in rare cases, the lyrics are everything. Such is the case for the classic ‘80s hit by Tracy Chapman, Fast Car.

All other elements of this song exist only to support the lyrics. I think this approach was a deliberate choice by Ms. Chapman, although I can’t be sure. For example, the intoxicating intro, just a sweet acoustic guitar riff over a few standard C major chords, continues unaltered through every line of each verse. When the bridge comes in, the arrangement intensifies, but only just a bit - a little more percussion to drive it through to the next verse. And when that next verse comes, the drums go silent again. All to support the lyrics.

Like other classic folk songs, there is no distinct chorus; the song is rich in verses instead. In order to get this fascinating story told, Ms. Chapman presents us with 3-1/2 verses followed by a bridge, another verse and another bridge, and then she leads us out with another verse-and-a-half. That’s a lot of content!

But, the content is strong. Really strong. There is occasional rhyme in the lyrics - some perfect rhyme, more non-perfect rhyme, some internal rhyme - but the rhyme scheme doesn’t seem to have a particular pattern. That’s OK. No one’s paying attention to that. Because the story itself is gripping. For example:

See, my old man's got a problem

He lives 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

And we’re right there next to Ms. Chapman, watching her cajole her less-than-responsible partner into taking a little more interest in their future. The picture she paints of the recent past and their current situation is bleak. But her optimism cracks through the gloom as in:

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

The ending of the song is a bit surprising, given the era this song came from. In a few cutting lines, the songwriter basically tells her partner to hit the bricks. I love that! Way to take responsibility for yourself! These few, but significant, verse lines transform “Fast Car” from what might have been a depressing tale of woe into a subtle paean to female empowerment.

Ms. Chapman, I thank you!