At the 2024 Grammy Awards, a Black woman and a white man sang together about people down on their luck and dreaming of better lives. It was a moment that hit an emotional note with millions of people all over the world. The song was “Fast Car”, first released in 1988. Social media exploded with praise and admiration for Tracy Chapman, the song’s composer, and country singer Luke Combs, who recorded an award-winning cover version last year. What made this moment such an inflection point? Life and Entertainment Managing Editor Laura Trujillo joins The Excerpt to talk about how this pairing speaks more to what we share instead of what divides us.
#podcast #music #tracychapman #lukecombs
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Music is a UNIVERSAL Language………NOBODY is excluded from it's optimism……..
For the people on here bitchin' that it's not about race, well, that's exactly the point. It's showing that if a white guy from North Carolina and a black liberal female can get along, anybody can, if they want to.
Black woman and wasn't necessary..
What a load of lib leftie krapp.
I was enjoying the moment, then somehow you managed to make their race the most important thing about it. Are we in the 1950s?!
I'm not watching you again.
I..eee… can be someone, be someone.
came here for the video, no thanks
When this song first came out. .. Yes I'm old as heck..I was at a Tower Records, at the checkout counter, and there, on the counter, was a 45 record. It was her song, and it was free! Can you imagine!
This interviewer is spot on with her questions. I was spontaneously moved to tears and cried through the entire performance – I wasn't sure quite why – it was like I didn't realize how much I missed Tracy…her soft, humble, beautiful energy is SO what the world needs right now….and then the more I watch it on replay, the more I appreciate Luke's childlike joy, admiration and deference to Tracy – it's delightful and heartwarming. Her eyes glistening with tears at the opening effusive cheers of the crowd…. her voice sounding better than ever….her beauty, grace and calm presence…. them singing not in harmony, but in key together….The entire song was sublime, and truly an epic moment in Grammy and musical history that I'll never forget.
It had NOTHING to do with the color of their skin. Quit acting like it does
Fantastic program! No, I'm serious.
Interesting conversation, thank you.
jesus those glasses could fit an elephant
My favorite part of the show
Why did they even mention race? Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs are both artists, and both known for singing the same song (that Chapman wrote back in the '80s). The song spoke to them both because it is a HUMAN song, and they are both HUMAN.
My heck. I'm old enough to remember the 80s, and our way of fighting racism then was focusing on our common humanity, and we made so much progress. Our society today is obsessed with race and it is honestly making things worse. Society is much more racist now than it was 10 years ago.
(oh, and before someone half my age lectures me on my white privilege — I'm black, grew up in an almost entirely white town in the US, heard the n word every day as a kid (30 years ago). I never expected that, when I grew up, the world would be just as race-obsessed.)
Beautiful story of tracy and a well deserved award. Why the hell does this anouncer start with " BLACK AND A WHITE" Seriously !
You made it about color. Most of us here can SEE, And if we can't someone SOMEWHERE has told us what color they are. You ruined it I'm going to the video ELSEWHERE!! WE ALL KNEW they were performing this duet, it was announced before they both just "showed up" uggggh 🤦🤦
Race matters when it comes to black folk in America, so that’s why the host mentioned it. Race mattering to black folk & never to white folk is interesting 🤔
Now. About the song. Tracy is singing about lower & working class America, which obviously transcends race & time, as nothing much has changed. If anything, America has only gotten worse, when it comes to race & class. However, again, nobody wants to talk about it or do anything about it. Let’s just enjoy songs about it. K. Got it 😉🇺🇸
Intelligent discussion.
(I was moved to tears, as well.)
Lots of good points, but even when I’m trying… I don’t see the denigration that you speak of. Tracy wasn’t elevated by a white guy, her song had its moment and it faded, then the cover brought it new light. Is it denigrating that t pain covered a white guys war pigs? No. It’s just awesome. Just like this was.
As a person, Tracy seems lovely and wise. Fast Car has always been one of my favorite songs. I am glad a new generation is hearing her and appreciating her.
Glad to see I just hope she was compensated 🙏🏾
Latex and non latex profilactics also the understand the different ways of understanding the dictionary.
“A black woman and a white man sang together ” 🤦🏽♂️ why is it always about skin color,why not just say “two talented musicians sang together”
Tracy Chapman may have left the music business because of dealing with them trying to have her conform.
For at least decades the whole actual country is sitting around over here, white black brown and everything in between, talking about being down at the waiting rooms, restaurants, gas stations, lobbies and elevators, and the media is like just discovering this every day like it’s a brand new thing
oeffie oeffie oeffie what's wrong with you that the opening sentence is about race. And that is exactly what is wrong with you., everything must suddenly be seen perceived in colors. It is you who are the racist, not us who are all enjoying a performance of two brilliant people who harmonize perfectly. And all credits to Tracy with all her talent, whom we adored in the Eighties and still love.
The people who comment about their indignation that race is mentioned here didn’t watch this interview all the way to end (because this is definitely addressed), but are also the same people for whom “race” is inconvenient to think about. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s reality.
Muck off with this divisive bs.
I was in 8th Grade when this melancholic masterpiece first came to the world! I bought the cassette and the album and literally wore the cassette out.
It’s a pretty special work when every song on the record was as moving as the last.
I’ve always said that Tracy is a poet, and a master lyricist. It was a tragedy that she never got all the accolades that she deserved. But it was awesome to see her so happy, and she sounded amazing. I saw her at Lilith Fair on its 3rd night in the summer of 1997.
There were so many amazing singer-song writers that night.
But Tracey and her band were Sooooo good, so polished!
It’s pretty cool when you know that you will ALWAYS remember the current moment for the rest of your life. And that’s what I remembered most. Oh man and Tracy was rockin’ a HUGE didgeridoo! She brought the house down. What a supercool memory.
So glad she is getting some love from this generation!
Don’t need to bring in about race. Tracy Chapman stands on her own.
WTF is up with those glasses? LOL
Very well known artist and played in radio stations in the Philippines…super humble artist and iconic…Tracy Chapman
That’s fkd up that the first thing to notice is that there’s two different colors and genders .
They’re 2 talented people getting together end of story.
Why do you feel the need to have to say a black woman and a white man when it just a man or a woman or their names why they need to differentiate by race?
The guitar licks, her voice and the sheeeer emotion of "Fast Car" made me absolutely fall in love with Tracy. Kinda sad she did not become "big" but she holds a place in most people's heart for putting her heart on her sleeve and baring her beautiful soul in such a profoundly powerful song…..
This isn't about skin color. He honors and respects that woman and just wanted to cherish and respect her beautiful masterpiece
I don’t understand why skim color has to be her opening line either. It was two artists in perfect harmony.
why did you have to start with mentioning there races? it doesn't even matter
Also, I totally resonated and agree with the sources quoted by interviewer.