On
Wednesday, we were introduced to Tracy Chapman. I had heard of her in years
past, however, I had very little knowledge about her or even the songs that she
sang. The first song of hers that we listened to as a class was “Fast Car.”
After the chorus played, I knew that I had heard the song before. I remember
hearing it on the radio, and really enjoying it, but I could not tell if it was
a male or female doing the singing. That is not something that I had considered
bad, it was just something I could not pick up on. After being able to sit down
and thoroughly read the lyrics to the song, I felt as though I had a deeper
understanding of where Tracy Chapman grew up and maybe the struggles she
encountered throughout her lifetime. It broke my heart to hear about her father
and his alcoholism, and even worse, the abandonment she went through at the
hands of her mother. Towards the end of the song, it is hinted that she may
have married a man who is similar to her father. A man who spends more time at
the bar than at home with his wife and kids. The song is filled with metaphors
and was so intelligently written and performed.
We also listened to Tracy’s song, “Talkin’
‘bout A Revolution,” and I found that song to have a very strong and straightforward
purpose and message. The fact that it was released in 1988 and was just used by
Bernie Sanders for a 2016 election is pretty incredible and speaks to how
powerful and moving the song truly is. Both of the songs we listened to by
Tracy Chapman we so beautifully crafted and not only in the writing but the performance
as well. I think her music and lyrics tell a story. Not only her story, but the
stories of others as well. I feel as though she is the perfect example of our
discussions about female artists using their position in the industry to create
a powerful masterpiece and elicit a strong response. I think Tracy seems like
such a beautiful soul. The way she performs her songs allows you to focus on
her lyrics, talent and the message. She is not trying to draw attention to
herself, but rather issues that have plagued her or those she loves. Thank you
Tracy for sticking up for what you believe in and being so brave in a world
full of hate.
Happy Good Friday and I hope everyone has a great Easter if you celebrate it!
I love how you title this article a "Gentle Soul". That is true a lot of song that come out of the radio are amazing when you first hear it but eventually it become boring and old because of the fact that it's not powerful but it seem like all the songs that she make are powerful.
ReplyDeleteKarly, I love your post! I like your title as well. As I mentioned in my post, it wasn't until we decoded the lyrics that I really understood her message. She's so subliminal with them. Her songs have so much meaning. I also liked how you talked about both Fast Car, and Talkin bout a revolution,and how you thanked her in the end. Excellent post, I really enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteKarly, I thought a job well done. I liked the way that Tracy went about her music and it should inspire more people even though she wasn't in it for the fame or the fortune.
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