Fast Car chords
by Tracy Chapman
Fast Car was written by Tracy Chapman. The song was recorded in 1987 and released in April, 1988 from the album Tracy Chapman.
Music: Key of A Major in 4/4 time at ~ 100 bpm
Riff Chords: Dmaj7(D), A5(A), F#m, Eadd4(Eadd11)
Chorus Chords: D, A, F#m, E
Tracy Chapman plays with a Capo on the 2nd fret & plays the following:
Riff Chords: Cmaj7 (C), G5 (G), Em, Dadd4 (Dadd11)Cmaj7: x32000
C: x32110
C: x32110
Dadd4: xx0032
Em: 022003
Em: 022003
G5: 3x0033
G: 320033
G: 320033
Chorus Chords: C, G, Em, D
C: x32010 G: 320033
Em: 022000 D: xx0232
Tracy plays Em and Dadd11 like so: (see tabs below)
Em: x7x08x Dadd11: x5x07x
Please note:
- The 4 bars of Intro Riff are played throughout the entire song except for the choruses.
- Intro - 8 bars (2 x 4): Note the guitar lick on bar 6 and again on bar 6 of the Outro.
- If you are playing with a Capo, each fret number represents the 'fret distance' from the capo - not the Nut of the guitar, i.e. 3 represents the 3rd fret from the capo.
- If you are just strumming, you may prefer to use Cmaj7 throughout the verses
- If you are playing the riff with an accompanying guitarist, they may want to use C Major and Dadd4 (all 1st position chords)
- Dadd4 = DaddG
- The G5 (don't play A string) or G is a matter of taste - they both sound fine
- See below for the tabbed version of the riffs played throughout the song
Fast Car
Capo on 2 if playing with the videoSong Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
Intro (Riff): 4/4
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Timing: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇 x4
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
1. You got a fa-ast car I want a tick-et to a-ny-where
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
May-be we make a deal May-be to-geth-er we can get some-where
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
A-ny place is bet-ter Start-ing from ze-ro got no-thing to lose
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
May-be we'll make some-thing Me my-self I got no-thing to prove
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 A Em Dadd4
2. You got a fa-ast car I got a plan to get us out of here...
I been wor-king at the con-ven-i-ence store
Ma-naged to save just a lit-tle bit of mo-ney
We won't have to drive too far
Just a-cross the bor-der and in-to the ci-ty
You and I can both get jobs
And fi-nal-ly see what it means to be li-ving
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5
3. You see my old man's got a pro-blem
Em Dadd4
He live with the bot-tle that's the way it is...
He says his body's too old for wor-king
His bo-dy's too young to look like his
My ma-ma went off and left him
She wan-ted more from life than he could give
I said some-bo-dy's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Bridge: You got a fa-ast car But is it fast e-nough so we can fly a-way?
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
We got-ta make a de-ci-sion We leave to-night or live and die this way
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
(So re-mem-ber when we were)
C
Chorus: So re-mem-ber when we were dri-ving, dri-ving in your car
G
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
Em
Ci-ty lights lay out be-fore us
D
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoul-der
C Em D
And I... had a feel-ing that I be-longed
C Em D C D
I... had a feel-ing I could be some-one, be some-one, be some-one
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
4. You got a fa-ast car And we go crui-sing to en-ter-tain our-selves
You still ain't got a job And I work in the mar-ket as a check-out girl
I know things will get bet-ter You'll find work and I'll get pro-mo-ted
We'll move out of the shel-ter Buy a big house and live in the su-burbs
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
(So re-mem-ber when we were)
C
Chorus: So re-mem-ber when we were dri-ving, dri-ving in your car
G
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
Em
Ci-ty lights lay out be-fore us
D
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoul-der
C Em D
And I... had a feel-ing that I be-longed
C Em D C D
I... had a feel-ing I could be some-one, be some-one, be some-one
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
5. You got a fa-ast 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
I'd al-ways hoped for bet-ter
Thought may-be to-ge-ther you and me'd find it
I got no plans I ain't going no-where
So take your fast car and keep on dri-ving
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
(So re-mem-ber when we were)
C
Chorus: So re-mem-ber when we were dri-ving, dri-ving in your car
G
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
Em
Ci-ty lights lay out be-fore us
D
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoul-der
C Em D
And I... had a feel-ing that I be-longed
C Em D C D
I... had a feel-ing I could be some-one, be some-one, be some-one
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Riff: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5
Bridge: You got a fa-ast car
Em Dadd4
Is it fast e-nough so you can fly a-way
Cmaj7 G5
You got-ta make a de-ci-sion
Em Dadd4
Leave to-night or live and die this way
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4
Outro: 𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇
Cmaj7 G5 Em Dadd4 Cmaj7 G5
𝄆 1&2 &3&4& | 1&2 &3&4& 𝄇 𝄑 |
Guitar Tab
* (h)represents a Hammer-On * Each segment|--------| is equivalent to one bar of music. * Timing Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & is directly in line with notes played * Unmarked Strings: Do not play * 0 - open string Intro: bars (includes extra riff on bar 6) Outro: 8 bars (includes extra riff on bar 6) with added bar to finish Between verses incl. choruses and bridge: first 4 bars C G Em Dadd11 C G Em Dadd11 e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B|-0h1-0-3-3-3-----|-8-----7---7-----|-0h1-0-3-3-3-----|-8-----7---7-----| G|-0---0-0-----0---|-0-----0-----0---|-0---0-0-----0---|-0-----0-----0---| D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A|-3-----0---------|-7-----5---------|-3-----0---------|-7-----5---------| E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Bar-1 Bar-2 Bar-1 Bar-4 C G Em Dadd11 C G Em Dadd11 e|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------| B|-0h1-0-3-3-3-----|-8---10-8-7---8---|-0h1-0-3-3-3-----|-8-----7---7-----| G|-0---0-0-----0---|-0--------0-----0-|-0---0-0-----0---|-0-----0-----0---| D|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------| A|-3-----0---------|-7--------5-------|-3-----0---------|-7-----5---------| E|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Bar-5 Bar-6 Bar-7 Bar-8
