Fast car

“You got a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere”, the first two lines of the debut song by Tracy Chapman. It came on the radio the other day, and I had an instant flashback of being reunited with my girl in New York in 1989. Two years prior, my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, told me that she wanted a break in our relationship. We stayed friends and reunited in New York for a transnational trip across the United States.

Fast Car was the first single from the self-titled debut album for Tracy Chapman, released in 1988. We had the album on cassette, and it remained on constant rotation throughout the trip. The song invokes some strong memories of our meeting in New York City, the starting point of a four-week journey together.

I have a theory that relationships will continuously cycle through divergence and convergence. These are the moments when your relationship seems to be heading in two different directions, but if a bond and shared belief are present, you will always find a way to come back together.

Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car has been an anchor point for our relationship, a moment of convergence, creating a lifelong bond.
I heard this song for the first time -- without ever having heard it before -- in the car radio after arriving home at my parents' driveway as a 16 year old.

Had to sit in the car and wait for the song to finish. this was before smart phones so i couldn't just look it up in the moment. Had to wait so that i could look it up once I got inside.
2022-03-19 18:51:09