Blog #8

Kayla Leland 

Professor Santos 

EN-003 

March 25,2016 

Blog #8 

 

Tracy Chapman 

 

This week in class we have talked about Tracy Chapman  and read an article about her called "Singing for Herself Armed Only With Her Voice, Her Guitar, and Her Conscious" by Richard Stengel. When reading this article it was not until after did I realize what an amazing artist Tracy Chapman is and fell in love her. Tracy Chapman is an urban folk singer who grew up in Cleveland. When reading the article I found it really interesting to learn a little about her life and how she wasn’t big on fame. 

 

Tracy Chapman learned how to play a guitar as a little girl and later became a success. This is an interesting story because when she was younger she originally wanted the drums but her mother said  no because they would be too loud so she got the guitar and loved it. I think It is awesome that just at 24 she graduated Tufts University and had some of her songs released. Tracy Chapman was so popular that she became number one pop album and sold ten million copies in which she won three Grammy awards for. Another interesting thing that I did not know about Tracy Chapman was that she had become a cultural icon. She was a singer that chose to sing about issues many people may be dealing with such as homeless in a time where most songs were about motivating people to party. Her songs didn’t fit into black music as it wasn’t played on the "black stations."  Chapman claimed that her music wasn’t played because she was too black and how there is a "reverse prejudice in the black community." I found it a little sad how she believed she wasn’t played on these stations because she didn't fit into these formats and were not willing to make space for her. Her own people didn’t appreciate her and as a result she tried to protect what she keeps inside.  

 

Tracy Chapman

This week we read about Tracy Chapman who was an African American singer and song writer.I had never heard of her before this week, but when I listen to the song it sounded really familiar. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio with her mother and sister and they didn't have a lot of money. I always find it really inspiring when a people come from poor family and then become wealthy. It is also great she didn't show off her money she was very generous with it and didn't want to be flashy with it. It crazy how the world works if you are really passionate about something then you should pursue it just like she did. When Tracy turned three her mother bought her a ukulele and thats where her love of music started. Then she grew older and she began performing guitar on the show "Hee Haw". One of Chapman's most famous song was 'Fast Car" and it was about a relationship that really didn't work out.  Her voice is really deep and soothing and it almost songs like man but I really love her music especially that song. She is a very great artist and I am happy that we got to learn about because she seemed like a very inspiring women.  

Tracy Chapman - A Gentle Soul

            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!

Tracy Chapman

             I really enjoyed learning about Tracy Chapman this week. I had heard of Tracy before and knew that she sang the song “fast car” but after reading the interview with her I had gotten a much better idea of who she was. I love the personality that Tracy has. I think my favorite part of the reading was when she said, ''I guess if there were some way to choose what I wanted or didn't want from what my success has brought me, I would choose not to have the celebrity. I don't think I'm very good at it”. I really enjoyed reading that part because I like how Tracy did not allow the fame and fortune to go to her head. She is still completely humble and does not enjoy all the fame that she got.

            Listening to Fast Car brought back so many memories for me. My mom and I use to listen to this song all of the time on the radio while we were in the car. There is a remix to this song that is out now so it was nice to listen to the original song. I had never actually listening and paid attention to the lyrics so reading the lyrics in class really opened my eyes and taught so much more about this song. It was so sad to read about how she wanted to run away from all of her problems with this man and she ended up being the person who got a job and paid for everything while he spent his time going out and drinking. Tracy Chapman had a lot of success in her life and the fact that she stayed so humble and didn’t want all of that fame really says something about the person she is.

"She is smaller and more delicate than she appears in pictures, her voice higher and more nasal than on her records. There is a solidity about her, a muscular spirituality. Her element is earth, not air. A master of silence, she does not talk about what she doesn't know. Mostly, she is wary, skeptical". This quote from the article we were assigned to read on Tracy Chapman really stands out to me because I could notice all that about her just from listening to her song. I believe "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman is a meaningful song even though a part of it seems like just a regular song.  In the song she says "Anyplace is better Starting from zero got nothing to lose, maybe we'll make something, but me myself I got nothing to prove", which shows that the song is all about freedom, escaping, and starting over.  Another part of the lyrics that stood out to me was when she said “You got a fast car, but is it fast enough so you can fly away, you got to make a decision, you leave tonight or live and die this way”. This quote was a bit confusing but, powerful. What I believe she was saying in that part was that either go away or, live a life you don’t want to live and die at the end.

Tracy Chapman

                  This week in class, we talked about Tracy Chapman. Prior to this class, I had never heard of Tracy Chapman before. After reading the article, and discussing her in class, I learned a lot more about her. We listened to one of her hit songs, “Fast Car”, and as soon as it came on, I knew I had heard it before. It is a great song! I had always thought that it was sang by a man, but Tracy just has a very unique and calming voice. This song, “Fast Car” isn’t about a car at all though. As a matter of fact, in an interview, Chapman stated, “It’s not really about a car at all…basically it’s about a relationship that didn’t work out because it’s starting from the wrong place”. I love the meaning behind the song, because it’s one of those songs that you just listen to but then once you start singing along, you realize the meaning behind it. I think the way Chapman portrayed her message through this song was brilliant and turned out to be one of her biggest hits!

                  Another thing I like about Tracy Chapman is something from the article about her and the way she performs. Richard Stengel stated that, “Her performance style reflects her reticence. There is no chatter, no dancing, no fireworks. Yet she is capable of creating an intimacy with the audience that more gregarious performers cannot duplicate”. I found this very interesting because so many artists focus on their dances, fireworks, tricks, backup dancers, and outfits rather than just performing their music and amazing the audience with just their voice. Not many artists could probably perform very well without all the extras, so I found it to be such a great thing that Chapman’s voice and songs can have such an impact on people.  Tracy Chapman is one of those women who don’t care about being in the spotlight all the time and making herself the center of attention. After reading about her, and finding out she is the one who sings “Fast Car”, I look forward to looking into more of her music and exploring some of her other songs.

Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman

     This week in class we learned about Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman. I didn’t know a lot about either of these artist before we read and talked about them in class this week but I had been introduced to some of their music before. A dance teacher I had used to listen to Tracy Chapman all the time while we were warming up before class, her song Fast Car was one particular song that we listened to all the time, and I actually danced to a song by Ani DiFranco called Amazing Grace. So I found it very interesting to learn more about these two artists this week. 

     Ani DiFranco started playing the guitar when she was just a child and released her first album in 1990 an quickly started to build a reputation. She gained popularity through word of mouth and became popular among college students. And DiFranco refers to herself as a folk singer but she is also frequently categorized in the alternative rock genre. Many of her songs are drawn from her personal life experiences. An example would be her song Lost Women, which we discussed in class, this song is about her getting an abortion, this is such a difficult topic to talk about openly but she manages to do it, I like how she almost walks you through her experience. Ani DiFranco also often talks about feminist and political issues in her lyrics, and her music has included topics like war, corporate greed, sexual assault and gun control.

     When I first heard Tracy Chapman sing the first thing that stood out to me about her was how deep her voice was, I honestly thought she was a man. Chapman became a huge success very quickly. Some of her songs were about unrequited love and others spoke about homelessness, racism, and revolution. She grew up with her mother and her sister in a mostly black, working class neighborhood. Her song “Fast Car” is about a person who has had a bad list of things happening throughout her life, didn't have a lot of money or job options. We talked about in class that how in this song her dream is to get into the car and escape and start her life over. 

     Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman have very similar qualities about them. They both weren't focused on the fame, they didn't really want to be fussed over. Ani DiFranco turned down many recording deal with major recording labels and she also turned down recording with artists like Prince. Both artists also talked about their personal experiences along with controversial topic through their music and didn’t care what people thought about them or their style. Because I was only introduced to a few of their songs previously I enjoyed getting to learn more about these two artists. 

Tracy Chapman

In all honesty, before actually learning about Tracy Chapman, but hearing her songs, I thought she was a male. But I absolutely adore her song Fast Car. I don't know if it's the rhythm, or her voice, but this calming wave swept over me in class. Her songs are so relaxing, but convey such deep messages about her life. Like Professor Santos had mentioned, before reading the lyrics and analyzing them, I never would've known what her songs actually meant. She has a soulful sound about her, which is probably extremely difficult to mimic. Her uniqueness presented her with both complete success, and uncertainty.

As a child, Tracy grew up with a difficult life. She took care of her father, who was an alcoholic, and her mother had abandoned them. She began writing songs about issues that were very real to her, which takes a great amount of strength as it is. She was an African American women who did not fit into the category of the stereotypical "Black Music". Unfortunately, as much as Tracy directly spoke out to African Americans since she did not sound like the black music, she didn't fit in. “Blacks are uncomfortable with her not because she’s too white, but because she’s too black.” That must've been very difficult for her. Obviously the radios didn't have many black Rock and Roll singers that were male, never mind being female. The radios wanted to stick to their audiences, and not make space for diversity. Essentially, she didn't have a category that she belonged in. I think thats what's so special about her though. She wasn't this flashy celebrity. Fame wasn't important to her at all. In fact she hated it. She just wanted to share her music with the world, regardless of her genre.

Fast Car

This week when we were assigned to read about and listen to Tracy Chapman I can admit that I didn't really know who she was nor was I that interested in learning about her either. From reading the article I don't think that I would be able to say that anything stood out to me, but when listening to her music a lot of things stood out to me. The first thing that stood out to me was when she said, "You got a fast car. And I got a plan to get us out of here. I been working at the convenience store. Managed to save just a little bit of money. We won't have to drive too far. Just 'cross the border and into the city." Before reading the article I did not think that I would be able to connect to Chapman in any way possible, but when listening to Fast Car I felt like I had something in common with her. I knew how it felt to want to just get out and get away. To just want to get on the next car, bus, or train away from where I am now. The second thing that stood out to me was how strongly she felt about chasing her freedom. I really liked the fact that Tracy Chapman wrote a whole song about this. Most people crave freedom, but never talk about how to go about obtaining it. The sensible part of me knows that she most likely not serious when she said she would leave, but the dreamer in me believes that she would seriously pick up one day and leave. Just because that’s what the dreamer in me would do.

When listening to Talkin’ Bout a Revolution the line that stood out to me the most is, “They’re Talkin Bout a Revolution. It sounds like a whisper. While they’re standing in the welfare lines. Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation. Wasting time in the unemployment lines. Sitting around waiting for a promotion.” This stood out to me the most because this song was written 28 years ago, and the problems are still the same. Keep in mind that 28 years isn’t that long ago, but it is enough time to try and make a change. Talkin’ Bout a Revolution will always be a song that we as a society can always listen to when we need to be uplifted and brought together in order to enact real change. 

Tracy Chapman

This week we had a beautiful snow day.  Thank you Mother Nature.  When we did have class though we learned about Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman.  They both were very interesting female musicians but Tracy Chapman stood out when I read the article about her growing up and how her music was not “black music.”

            Some of the interesting things I found about Tracy was that she grew up in a pretty “rough” neighborhood and school district.  This didn’t stop Tracy from being herself, “she was a quiet child and liked to be by herself.”  On her way to school she would make up songs and sing with friends and her sister.  She was a great athlete “but it was music that moved her.”  Her love for music drove her to play all over town.  This is inspirational for anyone who wants to do something just because they love it, not worrying about money or fame.  She was doing it because that’s what made her happy.

            That is just it, Tracy didn’t “like getting fussed over” because she didn’t want mega fame.  She enjoyed playing music and speaking up for herself and others through the lyrics of her songs.  Sadly, as much as Tracy directly spoke out for African Americans, people saw her music as white music.  “Blacks are uncomfortable with her not because she’s too white, but because she’s too black.” This is quite offensive and Tracy does take this as an insult.  Hell, I would too.  Speaking out is hard enough, but then having no support from people that you thought you’d have with you, that’s even harder.

            I will say, I wish she was respected for her out spoken words on racism and equality for blacks and whites.  I did enjoy her music.  I really like that she doesn’t care for the spotlight. 

Tracy Chapman

When reading the article and the writer mentioned how Tracy chapman covers her mouth when she is laughing that remind me of myself because I often do that and a lot of people have the same misconception about me that I am a serious person. I Relate to her in that way.Tracy chapman relates to Nina Simone in the sense they both sings about important relevant issues going on the world such as racism and revolution.I only know one song of Tracy Chapman and it’s Fast-Car. I know that song because that was one of my aunt’s favorite song.I also like it too because her voice is so unique and calming” A sweet, sad, wise voice that haunted almost all who heard it”(Stengel). One thing that is interesting about her is how she doesn’t mold herself for the music industry she stay true to herself.She dresses how she wants too and even has dread and that is huge because so many African American although this hairstyle is natural they are are judged for looking a certain way. I think many of her fans who are African American that might inspire them to rock their natural hair. Her story on how she became famous it's interesting because gaining fame wasn't her primary goal. She is a very down to earth person and I feel like even if she didn't become a singer she would have still become something great because of how talented she is; she was the  star of the basketball team and captain of the varsity soccer team. She is such a  great writer she could have been an author.One really important thing in this article that stick out to me is Tracy chapman saying 'I think the reason I don't get played on black radio stations is because I don't fit into their present format. And they're not willing to make a space for me. I'm upset by what has been said because it doesn't speak well of black people. You know, it basically says black people don't respond in a cerebral manner to music, and that's just not true.''(Chapman). I feel like black artist are categorize into a specific genre of music  which is R&B, Hip hop/ Trap music but the truth is there are many indie black artists and many rock artist who are black it's just that they are not mainstream because the music industry only focuses on their artist having commercial appeal.

                Something that stood out to me this week was lyrics of a song.  The song Left Alone by Fiona Apple touched me in a way that really made me identify with what she was saying.  Because it is a song people might feel or relate differently to the lyrics and if people can relate the lyrics to specific situations like I did it builds a unique connection between the artist and who is listening to it.  When I first listened to Left Alone some parts of the song like “And now I’m hard, too hard to know” which connects to parts of my life where I did not think I was able to be understood by people just because they hasn’t gone through what I been through, which I believe is a common mistake people make.  Instead of connecting their stories and relate one to another they just complain about them or their situation being a priority.  “And now I’m hard, too hard to know” also reminds me of how much I closed my self for relationships with friends, family and people in general because of past situations that took away from me the ability of open up to people and give them the opportunity to know me.  Other parts of the son that I relate to was” I don’t cry when I’m sad anymore, no no”  Sometimes it was really hard to put myself together after situations that took away from me the energy of expressing my feelings, either by words or simply tears. It was not even the case of not being touched enough to make me cry but it was because the tears would not come out, and instead I would feel the strong pain in my so called heart.  Another part of the song that really relates to me probably the most was when she said” How can I ask anyone to love me, when all I do is beg to be left alone” I feel like not just me but couple of other people has felt this way. I believe the main reason why we put ourselves in this position is because we are scared of open up to new experiences and we are afraid to get hurt so the easiest thing to do is ask to be left alone, because alone we are protected from feelings and people’s intentions towards us.  We want to be left alone but at the same time we want to feel like there are people who care and who want to be part of our lives.

I wrote my short essay about Miranda Lambert. I wrote about her because I love everything about her. She is so confident and comfortable with herself. I first discovered Miranda Lamber when her song "Mama's Broken Hear" came out. I was watching the music video and absolutely fell in love with her. The music video portrayed her as some psychotic woman who had just gotten her heart broke. She was insane and I loved every minute of it. I chose to write about her because of her confidence and the was she portrays herself.