Born in Cleveland, Ohio,U.S., Tracy Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs as a child. She received a scholarship through A Better Chance that allowed her to attend Wooster School in Connecticut, and was eventually accepted to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
Tracy Chapman helped restore songwriters to the spotlight in the '80s. The multi-platinum success of Chapman's eponymous 1988 debut was unexpected, and it had lasting impact. Although Chapman was working from the same confessional songwriter foundation that had been popularized in the '70s, her songs were fresh and powerful, driven by simple melodies and affecting lyrics. At the time of her first album, there were only a handful of artists performing such a style successfully, and her success ushered in a new era of songwriters that lasted well into the '90s. Along with 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M., Chapman's liberal politics proved enormously influential on American college campuses in the late '80s.
Official Website: http://www.tracychapman.com
Fansite: http://www.tracychapmanonline.com
3000 Miles
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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In groups of three
Fast girls walk slow
On side streets
Sometimes the girls who walk alone
Aren't found for days or weeks
On the busy boulevards
And cruise you hard
Bullies laugh and grin and beat
Your soft skin against
The cold concrete
[Chorus]
I'm 3,000 miles away [Repeat: x4]
Knock you down
Make you bleed
Make you cry
And make you think
I'll die here soon if I don't leave
If I don't leave if I don't leave
This patch of sky and native ground
Take turns to push and pull you down
Forget trying to live and be happy
I'll take safe and terror free
[Chorus]
Hit the floor
Shut off the lights
As the bullets fly
Terror rules the dark night
Dogs hang from the trees
Training ground for punks and thieves
Home of poor white retirees
Who didn't bail
And couldn't sell
When color made the grass less green
[Chorus]
Apples are filled with razor blades
But fools and innocents believe
That love and faith and truth and beauty
Can make a garden of this human factory
[Chorus]
Bad girls run fast
Leave home alone
No trace or clue of where they've gone
Sometimes these girls are never found
Never found never found
[Chorus]
Tracy Chapman's song 3000 Miles is a poignant commentary on the dangers and difficulties facing women on the streets of modern American cities. In the first verse, Chapman contrasts the different ways that "good girls" and "fast girls" walk, suggesting that the former are more concerned with their own safety, while the latter are more likely to be exposed to danger. She also touches on the darker side of urban life, where women who walk alone may disappear without a trace for days or weeks.
The second verse of the song focuses more directly on the threats that women face, both physical and emotional. Chapman describes the ways that "bad boys" can harass and intimidate women on the street, while bullies can physically assault them. She ends the verse by repeating the refrain "I'm 3,000 miles away," emphasizing the distance between her and the world she is describing, and perhaps signaling that distance is necessary in order to be safe from these dangers.
In the third verse, Chapman continues to describe the brutal realities of life on the streets, where violence is commonplace and terror rules the night. She references the poverty and racial tensions that can fuel this violence, and suggests that the world is not always a safe or fair place. However, she remains hopeful that love, faith, truth, and beauty can create a better world, no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Good girls walk fast
Girls who follow the rules walk quickly
In groups of three
They move in a pack for protection
Fast girls walk slow
Girls without rules move slowly
On side streets
They don't want to be seen
Sometimes the girls who walk alone
Girls who isolate themselves
Aren't found for days or weeks
It's dangerous to be alone
On the busy boulevards
Where people are visible
Bad boys call you names
Bad men intimidate
And cruise you hard
They're trying to seduce
Bullies laugh and grin and beat
They feel powerful over you
Your soft skin against
You are vulnerable to violence
The cold concrete
The harsh reality of the streets
I'm 3,000 miles away [Repeat: x4]
I am safe, far from danger
Knock you down
Knock you over
Make you bleed
Make you hurt
Make you cry
Make you sad
And make you think
Cause you to ponder
I'll die here soon if I don't leave
I am in great danger
If I don't leave if I don't leave
I need to escape
This patch of sky and native ground
The place I am from
Take turns to push and pull you down
I am in a constant struggle
Forget trying to live and be happy
It's too difficult to survive here
I'll take safe and terror free
I'll prioritize safety over happiness
Hit the floor
Get down
Shut off the lights
Turn off the lights
As the bullets fly
When there is gunfire
Terror rules the dark night
It is not safe here
Dogs hang from the trees
Violent things happen here
Training ground for punks and thieves
Bad people are raised here
Home of poor white retirees
Low-income, elderly people live here
Who didn't bail
They couldn't leave
And couldn't sell
Their property isn't worth much
When color made the grass less green
When diversity led to poverty
Apples are filled with razor blades
Danger lurks in unexpected places
But fools and innocents believe
Some people are naive
That love and faith and truth and beauty
Some still see the good in the world
Can make a garden of this human factory
But it is difficult to create beauty in this place
Bad girls run fast
Girls who break the rules move quickly
Leave home alone
They leave without anyone's knowledge
No trace or clue of where they've gone
They disappear without a trace
Sometimes these girls are never found
It's dangerous to be on your own
Never found never found
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind