Tracy Chapman's 1995 single "Give Me One Reason" was her final hit as a solo artist, and the singer-songwriter has revealed it is also her most personal, unlike her more famous breakthrough track "Fast Car". Speaking at a concert, Chapman described the song as autobiographical, explaining she wrote it late one night and left it as a message on someone's answering machine. This contrasts with "Fast Car", which she has said reflects the working-class Cleveland community she grew up in rather than her own direct experiences.

"Give Me One Reason" appears on Chapman's 1995 album New Beginning and won her a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. It followed a run of successes including "Fast Car" (1988), "Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution" and "Baby Can I Hold You" from her debut album, and the title track from her 1989 follow-up record Crossroads, which reached the Top 10. Chapman, known for rarely giving interviews, has said "Fast Car" tells a fictional story about a couple facing hardship rather than depicting her own life, noting she "never had a fast car".