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Luke Combs shared the heartwarming story behind his decision to record the only cover to appear on his 18-track album, Gettin’ Old.
The reigning iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Album of the Year winner (for his latest project’s predecessor, Growin’ Up) covered Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Combs credited his dad with introducing him to the song during his childhood, and inspiring the track on his album.
“I remember being 5 years old. I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with my parents,” Combs said during a recent show, remembering his dad’s 1988 Ford F-150 with a cassette player in it. “Me and my dad would ride around and listen to all sorts of things. My dad listens to everything. ...One of the first songs I remember hearing, he popped a cassette in, and — I loved this whole album — there was this one song that really stuck out to me, though, and it was called ‘Fast Car.’ That song has meant a lot to me ever since then. My whole life. I always think about my dad when it comes on, and us spending time together. As soon as I could play guitar, I tried to learn how to play this song, and it took me so long to learn how to play it because I was so bad. Last year I got to record my own version.”
“Fast Car” has been one of many fan-favorite highlights on Combs’ latest album, along with “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” “Love You Anyway,” “Tattoo on a Sunburn,” “5 Leaf Clover” and many others. Combs released the project just in time to kick off his massive world tour.
“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now,” Combs previously explained of his latest album. “One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through. It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record and I hope you love it as much as we do.”
Watch Combs tell his story behind “Fast Car” here: