Fast Car by Tracy Chapman — ESL Song Worksheet | English Plans

OI! !!! OI!

FAST CAR

~ Tracy Chapman · 1988 ~

Listen carefully and fill in the missing words.

    Verse 1
You got a fast (1)
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a (2)
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from (3) got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to (4)

Verse 2
You got a fast car
I got a (5) to get us outta here
I been working at the (6) store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the (7) and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

Verse 3
See, my old man's got a (8)
He live with the (9), that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

Verse 4
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a (10)
Leave tonight or live and die this way

Chorus
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast it felt like I was (11)
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my (12)
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

Verse 5
You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a (13)
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

[Chorus]

Verse 6
You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our (14)
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
Take your fast car and keep on driving

[Final Chorus]

Outro
You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way
  

Fast Car

Tracy Chapman · 1988

ClassPlan.ai

Song Worksheets

Odd Word Out

In each group, circle the word that doesn't belong. Write why it's different.

Group 1

conveniencemarketsheltershoulder

Reason:

Group 2

drivingcruisingpromotedworking

Reason:

Group 3

ticketplandecisionbottle

Reason:

Group 4

drunkfastbetternice

Reason:

Genre Swap

Imagine 'Fast Car' as a different music genre. Choose one: heavy metal, jazz, country, or rap. Rewrite two lines to match your chosen style.

Choose a genre: Country · Hip-hop · Folk · Pop ballad · Reggae

Think about how the words, rhythm, and mood would change. Keep the same story but change the musical feeling.

Did you know?

Read these facts about the song. Which one surprises you most?

🎵Tracy Chapman wrote 'Fast Car' when she was just 22 years old while studying at Tufts University.
⭐The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Chapman the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Folk Performance.
🎸Chapman performs the entire song using only four chords on her acoustic guitar: C, G, Em, and D.
📀The song tells the story of economic struggle and the American Dream through the eyes of a working-class narrator.
🎤Luke Combs covered 'Fast Car' in 2023, introducing the song to a new generation of country music fans.

Discussion & analysis

Discuss each question with your partner.

1Why does the narrator want to leave their hometown so badly?
2How does the relationship change from the beginning to the end of the song?

3Have you ever wanted to escape from a difficult situation? How did you handle it?
4Does having a 'fast car' really solve problems, or does it just help you run away from them?

🥁 Play It! — Tap the Beat

A student taps the rhythm of a song on the desk — or hums the melody. No words. Class tries to identify the song. First correct guess wins a point for their team.