Black Pumas Share Tender Cover of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’

Austin rock duo Black Pumas have shared a reverent cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 classic, “Fast Car.” The band — which comprises singer Eric Burton and guitarist Adrian Quesada — has regularly covered “Fast Car” during their live sets.

Aside from dispensing completely with the drums, Black Pumas’ rendition is fairly faithful to Chapman’s original, with Quesada recreating the tender acoustic progression and lacing a few electric licks of his own on top. Burton, meanwhile, delivers a breathtaking performance, letting his voice rise and fall as he sings, “And I had a feeling that I belonged/I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone.”

“To me, ‘Fast Car’ is a song of hope, dreams and a relentless heart to go somewhere and be someone,” Burton said in a statement. “I learned the song when I first began to busk and of the covers that I knew, it garnered the most attention from the random passerby. As a musician and artist, I’m attracted to songs that make us reflect on our daily struggles for making life worth living for.”

Along with sharing their cover of “Fast Car,” Black Pumas also released a new remix of their latest single, “Fire,” dubbed the “Steady Groovin Mix.”

Black Pumas released their self-titled debut album last year. The group will take part in the upcoming livestream benefit concert, A Night for Austin, June 10th, which was organized by Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Willie and Annie Nelson, and will benefit various organizations throughout Austin. Then, on June 21st, they’ll celebrate the one-year anniversary of Black Pumas with a livestream concert presented by the Texas Lottery.