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
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Before Easter
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beg for money
I may lie and lay my body down
Sell what I would give with love
One day before Easter comes
But I won't let Jesus find me
I walk I eat I sleep
Alive or dead or just reborn
One day before Easter comes
But I won't let Jesus find me
Jesus knows what I've done
I won't let him lift me up
Before I can turn
To look for him
Before I can turn
To look for him
If Jesus comes around again
I'll cry I'll cry
I'll cry for help
I'll let you be the one
To try to redeem the sins of man
One day before Easter comes
But I won't let Jesus find me
I'm gonna hide
Hide from him
Hide myself but not the sin
I'm gonna hide
Hide from him
Hide myself but no the sin
If Jesus comes around again
I've got the rock the needle
The bottle of sorrow
And Jesus Jesus Jesus knows
In Tracy Chapman's "Before Easter," the singer admits to begging for money, lying, and selling things that should be given with love in order to stay alive on the streets. She fears that she won't be able to find redemption and is thus hiding from Jesus. The singer recognizes that Jesus knows what she has done and she is afraid to turn around and look for him.
The song is rich with religious imagery as the lyrics reference Jesus and Easter. The singer's use of "rock the needle" and "bottle of sorrow" portrays her search for alternatives to Christ and the church. The song can be seen as a critique of the religious establishment's tendency to exclude those who fail to meet their standards of morality. Tracy Chapman seems to be painting a picture of someone who feels they have no choice but to turn away from the church, in order to survive.
Overall, "Before Easter" powerfully captures the struggle between faith and survival, suggesting that for many people, life's challenges may inevitably lead them to compromise their religious beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
I may beg
I am in such dire need that I may humble myself to beg for money.
Beg for money
I may resort to asking others for money to fulfill my needs.
I may lie and lay my body down
I may resort to selling my body or even lying if it means I can get what I need.
Sell what I would give with love
I may even resort to selling things that I would normally give to a loved one out of affection.
One day before Easter comes
Regardless of what I may do, I know that one day, Easter will arrive.
But I won't let Jesus find me
Despite my actions, I am afraid of facing the consequences of my sins, so I will try to hide from Jesus.
I walk I eat I sleep
I try my best to survive, and continue to do what is necessary to sustain myself.
In these streets I may be found
These streets are all I have, and they provide me with a sense of familiarity.
Alive or dead or just reborn
Regardless of my state, I am in search of a spiritual awakening or rebirth.
Jesus knows what I've done
I am aware that Jesus knows about my past sins.
I won't let him lift me up
I feel unworthy of redemption, so I won't allow Jesus to help me.
Before I can turn
I am limited by my lack of initiative to ask for forgiveness.
To look for him
I am too preoccupied with finding ways to satisfy my needs that I do not prioritize seeking forgiveness.
If Jesus comes around again
In the event that Jesus appears again, I am uncertain of how I would feel.
I'll cry I'll cry
I am filled with despair and sorrow.
I'll cry for help
I am in need of assistance and am hoping someone will come to my aid.
I'll let you be the one
I am relinquishing control to someone else to help me with my redemption.
To try to redeem the sins of man
I hope that someone can forgive me for my past transgressions.
I'm gonna hide
I am afraid to face the consequences of my sins and will try to hide from them.
Hide myself but not the sin
I may be able to hide my physical presence, but I cannot hide from the guilt.
I've got the rock the needle
I have resorted to drug use to cope with my pain.
The bottle of sorrow
I am also using alcohol to cope with my emotions.
And Jesus Jesus Jesus knows
Despite my actions, I am aware that Jesus knows about my pain and suffering.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind