Across the Lines
Tracy Chapman Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin
On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America

Little black girl gets assaulted
Ain't no reason why
Newspaper prints the story
And racist tempers fly
Next day it starts a riot
Knives and guns are drawn
Two black boys get killed
One white boy goes blind

Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin
On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America

Little black girl gets assaulted
Don't no one know her name
Lots of people hurt and angry, she's the one to blame

Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides
Run for your life
Tonight the riots begin




On the back streets of America
They kill the dream of America

Overall Meaning

The song "Across the Lines" by Tracy Chapman is an emotional commentary on the issue of segregation and racial violence in America. The lyrics describe the physical lines that divide blacks from whites and the violence that ensues when those lines are crossed. The violence is depicted as a vicious cycle - a young black girl is assaulted and the news incites racist tempers, leading to riots and the deaths of two black boys and a white boy's blindness.


The lyrics of the song explore the theme of division and the negative effects it has on society. The bridge and tracks represent physical barriers but also draw attention to the metaphorical barriers that separate us - our prejudices, fears and ignorance. The violent reactions to the girl's assault and the divisive attitudes expressed towards her show how easily people can be manipulated to hate each other and how a lack of understanding leads to violence.


Line by Line Meaning

Across the lines
Chapman challenges the listener to go beyond the societal boundaries that separate people by race.


Who would dare to go
She questions whether anyone is brave enough to challenge the status quo of race relations.


Under the bridge
The metaphorical space where racial segregation occurs.


Over the tracks
Symbolizes the barrier between white and black neighborhoods and the inability to cross over.


That separates whites from blacks
The stark separation of people based solely on the color of their skin.


Choose sides
Pressure from society to conform to a specific race and not see the gray area.


Run for your life
The danger and violence that comes with deviating from societal norms and challenging racial segregation.


Tonight the riots begin
Chapman depicts how racial tensions can build and escalate to violent conflict.


On the back streets of America
The unfortunate reality that these events can happen anywhere in the United States.


They kill the dream of America
The violence and division caused by racial segregation goes against the core values of freedom and equality that America was built on.


Little black girl gets assaulted
The constant victimization of black individuals in racially charged situations.


Ain't no reason why
The utter senselessness of these types of assaults and the fact that such violence should never be justified.


Newspaper prints the story
The media's role in uncovering and sensationalizing these types of events.


And racist tempers fly
The way that such stories can stir up latent racist tendencies within certain individuals.


Next day it starts a riot
The way that one small event can spiral out of control and incite widespread violence.


Knives and guns are drawn
The extreme measures that people will take in order to protect their racial identities and maintain power.


Two black boys get killed
The tragic loss of life that can occur in racially charged situations.


One white boy goes blind
The way that one's racial identity does not automatically grant protection from the negative consequences of racial division.


Don't no one know her name
The way that certain individuals can be silenced and forgotten in the midst of such intense events.


Lots of people hurt and angry, she's the one to blame
The tendency to blame the victim instead of acknowledging the larger systemic issues at play in racial segregation.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tracy L. Chapman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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