Luke Combs, the 34-year-old country singer whose cover of Tracy Chapman‘s classic “Fast Car” has captivated audiences, recently shared a humorous yet cringe-worthy moment from his career. Despite the success of his rendition—nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance—Combs revealed an embarrassing mistake he made while recording the song, one that still haunts him.
During a recent concert, Combs opened up to his fans about how a conversation with Tracy Chapman herself made him realize he’d sung a key lyric wrong in his cover. The lyric in question was from the line “We gotta make a decision,” which Combs had mistakenly sung as “Still gotta make a decision” in his version. Combs recalled the moment with a mixture of humor and humility.
“That was the first time I knew I had recorded the song incorrectly,” he explained to the crowd. “It was her telling me that. When she said it, I wanted to crawl into a hole.” Combs had never realized his mistake until Chapman pointed it out, and it was a humbling moment for the country star.
Despite his initial embarrassment, Combs shared that Tracy Chapman was incredibly gracious about the slip-up. “Luckily, she was awesome about it,” Combs continued. “And I think about it every single time I sing the song. I’ll think about it for the rest of my life.” With Chapman’s gentle handling of the mistake, Combs was able to laugh at the situation and move forward with even more respect for the original version of the track.
As a way of making up for his error, Combs told the audience at his show that he would now sing the original lyrics as intended by Chapman, rather than the version he mistakenly recorded. “So tonight, I’m going to sing ‘We gotta make a decision,’ because Tracy Chapman told me to, and dammit, I’m gonna do it,” he joked.
The “Fast Car” cover, which Combs released in April 2023, quickly became a fan favorite, soaring to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating the country music charts. The song’s massive success even earned Combs a Grammy nomination. In February 2024, Combs and Chapman performed the track together at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, a moment that many fans are still talking about.
In a previous interview, Chapman expressed her delight over the renewed popularity of her song. “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” she said. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Combs, who has long considered “Fast Car” one of the greatest songs ever written, never anticipated that his cover would take off in the way it did. “There’s nothing like Tracy’s version,” Combs said, “but I thought it would be a nice complement to the original.” He certainly got more than he bargained for, as the song’s success has solidified its place in both the country and pop music worlds.
Read more: