Luke Combs admitted he made a mistake while recording his cover of Fast Car, even after original singer Tracy Chapman pointed it out to him.
The country star, 34, recalled making a mistake during one lyric and admitted that moment still haunts him today.
The seven-time Grammy nominee said he wanted to “crawl in a hole” after she politely pointed out his mistake.
At a recent concert, he told the audience that after talking to Chapman, he realized he was singing the lyrics wrong: “We have to make a decision.”
Instead, he answered, “I still have a decision to make.”
Luke Combs admitted he made a mistake while recording his cover of Fast Car, even after original singer Tracy Chapman pointed it out; pictured on February 4 in Los Angeles
The country star, 34, recalled making a mistake during one lyric and admitted that moment still haunts him today. The seven-time Grammy nominee said he wanted to “crawl in a hole” after she politely pointed out his mistake; pictured on September 22 in Nashville
He recalled, “That was the first time I knew I had recorded the song wrong.
“It was she who told me that,” he told the crowd. “Because when she said that, I remember I wanted to crawl into a hole.”
“Luckily she loved it,” he continued. “And I think about it every time I sing the song, and I’ll think about it every time I sing this song for the rest of my life. But she thought it was so cool.”
Combs then told the audience that he was going to sing Chapman’s original lyrics instead of his recorded version.
“So the version you know is, ‘I have yet to make a decision,’” he said before repeating that those are “not the words.”
“It’s just not the words,” he explained. ‘I made that up in my head. So tonight I’m going to sing, “We’ve got to make a decision.”
“Because Tracy Chapman told me to, and damn it, I’m going to do it.”
Last year, Combs covered Fast Car, which Chapman released in 1988, and his version of the hit quickly topped the country music charts.
At a recent concert, he told the audience that after talking to Chapman, he realized he was singing the lyrics wrong: “We have to make a decision.” Instead, he recorded, “I still have to make a decision”; pictured on July 11 in Nashville
Last year, Combs covered Fast Car, which Chapman released in 1988, and his version of the hit quickly topped the country music charts; pictured in February 2023 in Phoenix
His cover was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance. At this year’s 66th Annual Grammy Awards last February, Chapman joined Combs on stage to perform the song together; pictured on February 4 in Los Angeles
His cover was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.
At this year’s 66th Annual Grammy Awards last February, Chapman joined Combs on stage to perform the song together.
Ahead of their duet, Chapman said she was “happy” to see that people were still enjoying the song after Combs did his cover, thirty years after she first released Fast Car.
“I never expected to be 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.”