Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (Tabs)
Considering what a massive hit this was, it’s not structured at all like a pop song. The verses are a jumble of words and the chorus doesn’t hit until two minutes into the song. But the guitar riff and the “You’ve got a fast car” refrain are both great hooks that sustain the song until the chorus.
The wordiness of the verses presents a bit of a problem for a ukulele version. There are long sections where it’s just the same note repeated. To make that manageable, I’ve done three things. First, I slowed it down. Second, I haven’t played every syllable she sings. Third, I’ve split the notes between the strings e.g. in bars 10 and 12 the A note alternates between the g-string 2nd fret and the open A-string. Even with all that, I found it a challenge to play.
