Lesbian anthems don’t just come and go; they stay forever and just keep getting better.
But when it comes to this one, it also got the seal of approval from scientists as it's thought to be the most ‘sonically’ perfect song out there.
Despite the author of the tune never having come out as gay and didn’t expressly share which gender she was singing about in her 1988 breakout hit, lesbians have been clear that the song is for them.
Over on Reddit, when someone queried its lesbian anthem status because of the above issues, people were quick to close the case.
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One social media user wrote: “It’s a vibe. Everything about that song screams lesbian to me. To me it is clearly a woman singing to another woman even if I can’t explain why.”
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Another said: “Ok first off, Fast Car ABSOLUTELY is thee lesbian anthem. Just listen to it, reallyyy listen, as a lesbian, and then return to the question. There are parts that so clearly nail the sentiment of being in a gay relationship, having your first crush (on another woman), and dreaming of a life that may ultimately be unattainable based on society's attitude toward gay people when the song was released. Still, it's timeless.”
Someone else commented: “It describes my life. I’m in a lesbian relationship. It just works. Love Tracy Chapman.”
In the end, Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ was determined to be a clear-cut lesbian classic.
But its composition is now proven to be the perfect song for audio engineers and scientists to test speakers.
Brent Butterworth, an audio expert at The Wirecutter Show explained exactly what it is that makes it so special.
He said: “Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ is generally regarded by audio scientists, who have proven this in testing, as the best song for evaluating audio equipment.”
The expert explained it’s got everything needed to check things.
“The more the song sort of fills up the frequency band, the better it is,” Butterworth said. “So, it has some bass in it, you know, like some bass guitar, and then it has some acoustic guitar, which is…a lot of high frequency and delicate.”
Then Chapman’s voice comes into to play.
He shared that her voice is ‘clear’, but some speakers can make it sound like she’s ‘singing in a cardboard box or something like that,’ making it the ‘easiest to evaluate'.
Considering the song is over 35 years old and it still resonates with fans and music lovers, Tracy did more than write a simple song: she wrote something that transcends time.
Britt Jones