Tracy Chapman - Fast Car Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar Cmaj7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
[Opening]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
[Em]I want a ticket to [D]anywhere.
[Cmaj7]Maybe we make a [G]deal,
[Em]Maybe together we can [D]get somewhere.
[Cmaj7]Any place is [G]better.
[Em]Starting from zero, got [D]nothing to lose.
[Cmaj7]Maybe we'll make [G]something,
[Em]Me myself, I got [D]nothing to prove.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[verse 2]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
[Em]I got a plan to [D]get us out of here:
[Cmaj7]I been working at the [G]convenience store,
[Em]Managed to save just a [D]little bit of money.
[Cmaj7]Won't have to drive too [G]far
[Em]Just 'cross the border and [D]into the city,
[Cmaj7]You and I can [G]both get jobs
And [Em]finally see what it [D]means to be living.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[verse 3]
You see, [Cmaj7]my old man's got a [G]problem:
He [Em]live with the bottle, that’s the [D]way it is.
He [Cmaj7]says his body's too old for [G]working,
His [Em]body's too young to [D]look like his.
My [Cmaj7]mama went off and [G]left him, she [Em]wanted more from life than [D]he could give,
I said, "[Cmaj7]Somebody's got to take [G]care of him."
So [Em]I quit school and that's [D]what I did.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[chorus]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
But is it [Em]fast enough so we can [D]fly away?
[Cmaj7]We gotta make a de[G]cision:
[Em]Leave tonight or live and [D]die this way.
[interlude]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em] [D]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em]
[chorus]
Em C Em* C
So I remember when: we were driving, driving in your car,
Em* C
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk,
[Em]City lights lay [C]out before us
And your [Em]arm felt nice wrapped '[C]round my shoulder.
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling that I belonged
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling I could -- [Em]be someone, [C]be someone, [Em]be someone.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[verse 4]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
And [Em]we go cruising to enter[D]tain ourselves;
[Cmaj7]you still ain't got a [G]job
And I [Em]work in a market as a [D]checkout girl.
[Cmaj7]I know things will get [G]better:
[Em]You'll find work and [D]I'll get promoted,
[Cmaj7]We'll move out of the [G]shelter
[Em]Buy a bigger house and [D]live in the suburbs.
[interlude]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em] [D]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em]
[chorus]
[Em] So I re[C]member when: we were [Em]driving, driving [C]in your car,
The [Em]speed so fast I felt like [C]I was drunk,
[Em]City lights lay [C]out before us
And your [Em]arm felt nice wrapped '[C]round my shoulder.
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling that I belonged
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling I could -- [Em]be someone, [C]be someone, [Em]be someone.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[verse 5]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
And [Em]I got a job that [D]pays all our bills.
[Cmaj7]You stay out drinking [G]late at the bar,
You see [Em]more your friends than you [D]do your kids.
[Cmaj7]I'd always hoped for [G]better,
[Em]Thought maybe together [D]you and me would find it,
[Cmaj7]I got no plans I ain't [G]going nowhere,
so [Em]take your fast car and [D]keep on driving.
[interlude]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em] [D]
[Cmaj7] [G] [Em]
[chorus]
[Em] So I re[C]member when: we were [Em]driving, driving [C]in your car,
The [Em]speed so fast I felt like [C]I was drunk,
[Em]City lights lay [C]out before us
And your [Em]arm felt nice wrapped '[C]round my shoulder.
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling that I belonged
And [C]I [Em] had a [D]feeling I could -- [Em]be someone, [C]be someone, [Em]be someone.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x2
[chorus]
[Cmaj7]You got a fast [G]car.
But is it [Em]fast enough so you can [D]fly away?
[Cmaj7]You gotta make a de[G]cision:
[Em]Leave tonight or live and [D]die this way.
[chorus]
Cmaj7 G Em D x3
[Cmaj7] [G]
[verse 6]
* Some folks prefer G rather than Em, and Em7 instead of Em
** Song is in key of F#m ? / Dmaj7 ? / A ?
[verse 7]
Alternate chords:
[verse 8]
Open
[verse 9]
Cmaj7 = F#m / Dmaj7 / A
G = A
Em = F#m
D = E
C = D
[verse 10]
Capo IV
[verse 11]
Cmaj7 = Bbmaj7
G = F
Em = Dm
D = C
C = Bb
[verse 12]
*** Individual tab notes
[verse 13]
From Capo II
[chorus]
e|-----------------|
B|-----0-----8-7-7-|
G|-4-5---7-7-------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|
[verse 14]
or
[chorus]
e|----------3-3-2-2|
B|0-1-0-3-3--------|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|
[Closing]
Set8
How to play Fast Car on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Fast Car uses these transitions most often: Em → D (33), Cmaj7 → G (31), and G → Em (30). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Cmaj7 - G chord transition.
1. Cmaj7 → G chord transition
To move from Cmaj7 to G;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
2. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
3. Em → D chord transition
To move from Em to D;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Place index finger on G string fret 2.
4. D → Cmaj7 chord transition
To move from D to Cmaj7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
5. Em → C chord transition
To move from Em to C;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
6. D → C chord transition
To move from D to C;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
7. Em → Cmaj7 chord transition
To move from Em to Cmaj7;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
Fast Car chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Fast Car.
- Fast Car includes 163 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.04% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Fast Car contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Fast Car connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (18%).
- Em → C: 26%
- Em → D: 18%
After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).- D → Em: 17%
- D → C: 14%