Combs isn’t the first to cover this poignant Tracy Chapman gem of a hit that turned 35 years old in April. He also won’t be the last. It’s a testament to Chapman’s prowess as a songwriter more than it is much anything else and if you don’t believe that at face value, just consider how relatable (if not heartbreaking) this starry-eyed tale of a tune is, no matter whose voice is behind it. In that sense, Combs does good by Chapman, staying loyal to its original incarnation, adding little to Chapman’s original outing right down to the middle of the song when Combs admirably doesn’t even compromise working in a market being a “checkout girl.”

The problem, much like the many who came before Combs, is that Chapman’s tenderness is lost in both translation and modernity. “Fast Car” is a great song for a lot of reasons, but one of them has always been Chapman’s understated vocal delivery – a wrinkle in the performance that nobody outside of the track’s author will ever be able to properly convey. Combs tries in the song’s early moments, but by the time things come full circle, it turns out to be just another grunt-y country radio rock song by just another grunt-y country radio rock guy.

Still, the core of the song is there, which means Combs could do a lot worse if he’s looking to cover late-‘80s coffee house rock in the year 2023. “Fast Car” has aged like a fine wine through the years, proving its worth as a cautionary tale that highlights the struggles that go along with being a woman cycling through the throes of poverty. In some ways, it might have been easier to think in 1988 that 35 years later, these issues would have been solved by now. Because they aren’t, Chapman’s vulnerability feels just a little more profound, even if someone else is singing her words. Combs doesn’t necessarily add a chapter to the novel, but at least he’s able to keep it alive by telling the story to a modern audience. And that counts for something, right?