Biography:
She was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. her parents were mixed of African- American, Caucasian, Polynesian, Asian, Spanish and Louisiana Creole descent. She began singing at the age of three and inspiration came courtesy of her father Malvin Spencer. Mr. Spencer was a singer with his own group The Cavaliers who opened for legendary singer Jackie Wilson. Preparing for a full time career in music, she would spend hours listening to musical legends like Billie Holiday and making home videos of herself singing tunes made popular by her idols Diana Ross and Mel'isa Morgan. At age five, Spencer began modeling in pageant competitions and in 1987 she won the syndicated television talent show Star Search singing Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" and a song from her debut album entitled "Lullaby Child". Shortly afterwards, she became the youngest female artist to sign a record deal with a major label, Capitol Records, and went on to release her self-titled debut album. She found success with singles "Hide and Seek", "Symptoms of True Love" and her remake of [John Lennon's "Imagine". Her second album, "Make the Difference" was released on August 27, 1990. The first single, "Save Your Love", showed an impressive standing at #7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Her following single, "This House" became her biggest hit to date reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tender Kisses", one of her best known ballads, hit #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and made her the youngest female artist to receive the ASCAP songwriter of the year award. The other singles, "This Time Make It Funky" and "Love Me", charted relatively well on The Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. She attended Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa. She also served on the board of the Children's Defense Fund as a teen and was given Martin Luther King Christian Leadership Award for being a positive role model for youth and she also traveled across the U.S. and abroad as part of a "Stay In School" program. In 1993, she made a guest appearance on the hit ABC sitcom, Family Matters and recorded the song "I'll Be There for You" for the 1997 film, "Good Burger", "The Rain" for "A Smile Like Yours" starring Lauren Holly and Greg Kinnear, "Down In The Delta" and "Girlfight" starring Michelle Rodriquez. She also modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel and Dollhouse, which lead to her being a part of New York and Los Angeles' fashion weeks in 1999-2000, being styled by Derek Khan, being signed to "NEXT" modeling agency and appearing in numerous magazines. On June 29, 1999, she made a comeback to released "Tracie" and found success with the hit singles "It's All About You (Not About Me) peaking in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and "Still In My Heart", the latter showcasing her elastic soprano vocals. In the 2000s, she started singing background vocals on the Hip-Hop songs for rappers such as hip-hop artist Kanye West, 50 C and Eve as well as songwriting for other artist's projects. In 2004, she acted in the short film, "A Tale of Two Sisters and in 2006, she performed in a play called "Choices in Los Angeles. As of 2007, Ms. Spencer has taken a hiatus from music but still models and is also pursing other interests while living on both the west coast and working abroad, but there is talk of her working on a couple of different projects and a new album. As of 2008-09 Ms. Spencer started writing with producer Julian Bunetta who has produced hits for country artist Big and Rich and pop acts such as Natasha Bedingfield and Leona Lewis.
This House
Tracie Spencer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What must we do to make that change?
It's time to understand, understand one another
In a world so cold a place of disbelief
Where will the people go without enough to eat
Let's not give up hope
We have to find a way
Chorus:
This house is our house
Let's do it for the people
This house is their house
Let's give it back to the people
The people of the world today
I see hurt in their eyes
I hear the sounds of voices cry
It's time to open our eyes
Time to help one another
In a world so cold a place of disbelief
Where can the people go to find a place to sleep
Let's not give up hope we have to find a way
Search within our soul to make a better day
Chorus
Bridge:
You-Me-We can make the difference
And you know no one, no one likes to be alone
We got to face it heart to heart
We have to make a brand new start
We got to change the tears to smiles
We have to go the exta mile
(you-me) It's time we face reality
(We can make the difference)
Give them hope and set them free
I think it's time we say goodbye
To all the homeless people's cry
Rap:
We've got to take the time to search the mind to find
This house, our house
(It's all in the hands of love)
(I said it's all in the hands of love)
Chorus
Tracie Spencer's song, "This House" is a call to action for people to understand and help one another in a world that can often be cold and full of disbelief. The song deals with themes of poverty, homelessness, and the humanitarian crisis facing the world. The lyrics explore the hopelessness that many people face and calls for a change to be made in order to give people back their homes and hope.
The opening lines of the song ask a question that is relevant today as it was when the song was written. "Where do we go from here? What must we do to make that change? It's time to understand, understand one another." These lines beg for an answer to questions that are constantly on our minds. They ask for a way forward and for people to realize that understanding and helping one another is the only way to make a change.
The songwriter used repetition and rhyme to emphasize the importance of the message in the song. The chorus "This house is our house, Let's do it for the people, This house is their house, Let's give it back to the people, The people of the world today" repeats twice in the song, emphasizing the message that the song aims to deliver.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do we go from here?
As a society we can see that we are not united, we need to determine a direction and plan accordingly.
What must we do to make that change?
It has become apparent that a change is necessary, but we must come together and figure out what actions are required to bring about that change.
It's time to understand, understand one another
In order to make real change we must try to understand each other, our individual experiences and perspectives are all valuable.
In a world so cold a place of disbelief
The world can often seem harsh and alienating.
Where will the people go without enough to eat
There are many people who are struggling with hunger and basic needs.
Let's not give up hope
No matter how challenging things may seem, we should remain optimistic about the possibilities for positive change.
We have to find a way
It is up to all of us to work together to find solutions to the problems that we face.
Search within our soul to make a better day
We must look deep within ourselves to find the courage and strength to make a positive impact in the world.
This house is our house
We all share this planet and must work together to create positive change.
Let's do it for the people
We must enact change for the betterment of all, not just a select few.
This house is their house
Those who are marginalized or disadvantaged must be included in our efforts to create change.
Let's give it back to the people
Our efforts should focus on empowering those in need and empowering them to be active contributors to the positive change that is needed.
The people of the world today
Our efforts must focus on creating a better world for everyone, regardless of geography or background.
I see hurt in their eyes
Many people suffer and struggle, and the pain can be seen in their eyes.
I hear the sounds of voices cry
The struggle is often audible in the cries of those who are hurting.
Time to open our eyes
We must not turn a blind eye to the struggles of others, but actively work to identify and address the root causes of pain and hardship.
Time to help one another
We must work together to support each other through the toughest of times.
Where can the people go to find a place to sleep
For those who are homeless, finding even the most basic necessities like a safe place to rest can be a challenge.
You-Me-We can make the difference
We all have the power to create positive change, together.
No one likes to be alone
We are all social creatures and need support and companionship to thrive.
We have to make a brand new start
We must be willing to set aside old ways of doing things and approach our problems with new perspectives and creative solutions.
We got to change the tears to smiles
We must work to change the course of painful events toward a positive outcome.
We have to go the extra mile
Most times the hardest work is what brings the greatest reward.
It's time we face reality
Change requires us to be honest with ourselves about the state of the world and our power to effect positive change.
Give them hope and set them free
A hopeful vision of a better future can inspire us all to work towards that future, free from the weight of doubt and despair.
I think it's time we say goodbye
We cannot continue to tolerate the harm and neglect that has brought so many people to their current state of struggle and pain.
We've got to take the time to search the mind to find
We must be willing to examine our beliefs and biases in order to identify where we must grow and change.
It's all in the hands of love
Ultimately, the key to creating positive change lies in love, empathy, and compassion for our fellow humans.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sandram8761
Wow, this song.. I'm 13 again. My mom used to talk about how certain songs would "take her back".. and she was right! They do!
@dsongbirdsings
Sometimes i smell the food also. Hahahahaπππ
@JPel1973
Brings back a lot of memoriesβ¦..the 80βs and 90βs were the best time for music πΆ
@dennisvalverde3909
I agree @JPer1973.
@my2jems068
How this song needs to be played for the 2024 electionβ€β€β€
@chrisike6273
2023 & this artist music will always be neededπβΎοΈπΊπΊπ―
@virgo1677
Wish I can go back to the 90s...can't stand how the world is right now!
@ronniesanders711
mstoya wiggins I agree. But I'm thankful for what I have
@tims7738
mstoya wiggins You got that right- today's society sucks! Economy sucks, everyone hates each other, politicians bought and paid for by corporations....
@joriggs8948
mstoya wiggins I agree,90's had the best music.