With a back catalogue boasting such gems as 'Rainmaker' and 'Fully Qualified Survivor' (featuring Mick Ronson, Rick Kemp, and others), it remains a mystery to all why he wasn't afforded more mainstream recognition. With his often quirky songs and vocal style sometimes eerily reminiscent of David Bowie, one can only assume that Chapman's hardy reluctance to bow to the commercial pressures of his record companies served only to afford him scant recognition from the record-buying public. With a muse falling somewhere between Kevin Ayers and Warren Zevon, Chapman was a folk-rock, psychedelic-jazz troubadour.
Chapman first appeared on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits in 1967, including the Piper's Folk Club in Penzance, alongside John Martyn and Roy Harper. His first album was "Rainmaker" in 1969.
His 1970 second album, "Fully Qualified Survivor", again produced by Gus Dudgeon with lush strings arranged by Paul Buckmaster, received much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and featured his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".
After a tour of the United States with Rick Kemp, Chapman signed to Decca's subsidiary, Deram, recording an increasingly rockier set of albums. Championed by Charles Shaar Murray and John Peel, he continued to have a high profile, being a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe.
1977 saw the end of Chapman's Decca deal, and the beginning of an association with Criminal Records in 1978; both record labels released versions of The Man Who Hated Mornings. He continued to gig and record consistently, varying styles and sounds, sometimes working with a full group, more often working with Rick Kemp alone.
The 1980s was a quieter time for Chapman. He continued to make recordings that straddled musical genres and pushed his guitar playing to the fore, but had neither the profile nor sales of the previous decade.
The late 1990s onwards represented a period of continued rebirth for Chapman. He embraced the 'elder statesman' role and enjoyed critical acclaim for albums like Navigation, Dreaming Out Loud and Still Making Rain (a wry pun title that looked back to his debut album). With the 1997 release of Dreaming Out Loud, Chapman was releasing albums at the rate of one every two years, and still attracting high praise, if not great sales.
The 21st century saw Chapman exploring his guitar player roots and releasing instrumental albums alongside his song-based sets. Americana and Words Fail Me feature soundscapes that recalled travels in America, and featured a dexterity and inventiveness on the guitar equal to the classic Harvest and Decca periods.
A tribute album titled Oh Michael, Look What You've Done: Friends Play Michael Chapman was released in 2012 on Tompkins Square Records. It includes contributions from Lucinda Williams, Maddy Prior, William Tyler, Hiss Golden Messenger and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
In 2016, Chapman celebrated fifty years as a professional musician. Towards the end of his life he still played professionally and regularly toured in the UK, Europe and US.
It’s Too Late
Michael Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The place is full of strangers and some don't wish me well
And I wake up with a bottle of something strong and cheap
And far too many memories I'm trying not to keep
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
Until it was too late
There's wreckage on the highway and plenty more in sight
And your dirty laundry with nowhere left to hide
There's things to keep me going, and keep me wide awake
There's more to being on this road than many a soul can take
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
Until it was too late.
The lyrics of Michael Chapman's song, "It's Too Late" paint a picture of despair, loneliness, and regret in the life of the singer. The song begins with the singer sitting in the corridor of a broken-down hotel, in the company of strangers who don't seem to have his best interests at heart. He wakes up to a bottle of cheap, strong alcohol and memories that he desperately tries to forget.
The singer talks about being separated from his loved one by a cruel twist of fate, something beyond his control. He never realized how much he wanted her until it was too late. The second verse describes the wreckage on the highway and other things that torment the singer. But despite everything, he's still on the road, trying to keep going, and surviving, even though it seems like too much to bear.
The song's central theme is loss - loss of love, loss of hope, and loss of control. It's a haunting narrative filled with despair and a deep longing for something that can no longer be. The lyrics exude a sense of desperation, and the melody and vocals add to that feeling of hopelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're sat in the corridor of this broken down hotel
If you find yourself sitting in the hallway of this rundown hotel
The place is full of strangers and some don't wish me well
The hotel is filled with unfamiliar faces; some hostile to me
And I wake up with a bottle of something strong and cheap
I often wake up with a bottle of low-quality, potent liquor
And far too many memories I'm trying not to keep
There are too many memories that I'm trying to forget
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
We were unfortunately separated by a harsh twist of destiny
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
I didn't realize I desired you until it was too late
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
We were unfortunately separated by a harsh twist of destiny
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
I didn't realize I desired you until it was too late
Until it was too late
Until it was too late to do anything about it
There's wreckage on the highway and plenty more in sight
There are heaps of wreckage on the road and tons more in view
And your dirty laundry with nowhere left to hide
Your secrets are out in the open with nowhere else to be hidden
There's things to keep me going, and keep me wide awake
There are things that keep me busy and prevent me from falling asleep
There's more to being on this road than many a soul can take
There's more to travelling this path than most people can endure
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
We were unfortunately separated by a harsh twist of destiny
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
I didn't realize I desired you until it was too late
'Cause we were kept apart by a cruel twist of fate
We were unfortunately separated by a harsh twist of destiny
I never knew I wanted you until it was too late
I didn't realize I desired you until it was too late
Until it was too late
Until it was too late to do anything about it
Writer(s): Michael Chapman
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@chiptvchiptv
The Last Days of American Crime brought me here. Sweet Song 🎶 🎸
@lilianamachado5112
Me too 🙂
@robertsingleton1893
RIP Michael Chapman.
@keelaishmael721
RIP Michael! I was very fortunate to seeing you play live many times.
Thank you for such good music 🎶
@bennydudkevitch
Shalom & RIP Michael Chapman
@phoebelane7003
Some way from Rabbit Hills. God bless you Mr. Chapman you are missed but your music lives on in the hearts of many.
@the_j_part5918
RIP. Many very happy trails Michael. Guess you can now be over there with Terpsichore and Euterpe for company. Thanks for visiting Gaia. Your musicianship graced my ears for over 40 years. Thank you old soul. Pax.
@smknmom
This hauntingly good!
@ChrisLean
Listened to BBC Radio 6 ( Mark Riley ) while walking the dog in the forest ( in Czech Republic). Great interview and session- found myself home without realising it.
@PaulSutherland
RIP, Michael, and thank you for the wonderful music.