Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" and Telos!

Telos: Greek: The ultimate object or end

At the recent Grammy's event, the spot that stole the entire show was the performance of Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs when they sang the age old classic Fast Cars. In this star-studded event with the likes of ?Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, among other celebrities, the song ended with everyone getting to their feet for a long and thunderous standing ovation. This was something to behold!

Why am I writing about the recent Grammy's and this song that has captivated so many for a long time and in its reprise has shot to the top of the charts again for the past several months? This is because the essence of the song's lyrics and the way Tracy and Luke delivered it cuts into our very soul. It is a story about how we all want to be somebody by going somewhere away from "here." It is also a lesson in personal leadership and leadership in general.

This theme is the essence of my coaching practice. Why? Mostly because many of my clients who come to me, some feeling lost, others struggling to get "there," all have the same basic need. We all want to be somebody. So, when I saw during the airing of the Grammy's how everyone in that audience, many whom we all know as famous and rich celebrities, cheering for that song tells us something about how we humans always want to be "somebody" even when we have it all! I found that message as deeply poignant and universal to us all.

So, if you really want to relish this song and its message, play it and watch them belt it out as they did at the Grammys. Soak in the lyrics below and see how they resonate with what we all yearn in our own life--our Telos--no matter who we are, where we come from and what our struggles are:

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs at the Grammys'

You got a fast car

And I want a ticket to anywhere

Maybe we make a deal

Maybe together we can get somewhere

Any place is better Starting from zero,

got nothing to lose

Maybe we'll make something

Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car I got a plan to get us out of here

I've been working at the convenience store

Managed to save just a little bit of money

Won't have to drive too far Just across the border and into the city

You and I can both get jobs

Finally, see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem

He live with the bottle, that's the way it is

He says his body's too old for working

His body's too young to look like his

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

You got a fast car Is it fast enough so we can fly away?

Still gotta make a decision

Leave tonight, or live and die this way

So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged I, I,

I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

We go cruising, entertain ourselves

You still ain't got a job

So I work in a 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, live in the suburbs

So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged I, I,

I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

I got a job that pays all our bills

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 would find it

I got no plans,

I ain't going nowhere

Take your fast car and keep on driving

So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged I, I,

I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

Is it fast enough, so you can fly away? You still gotta make a decision

Leave tonight, or live and die this way

Source:?Musixmatch

Songwriters: Tracy Chapman

Fast Car lyrics ? Purple Rabbit Music

My own lesson from this awesome creation: We all have our struggles. We all must work on getting ourselves to a place where we find joy and peace. Often, it is right where you are. It is hidden in plain sight. You just have to find it!