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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Bridges
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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Come back one day to haunt you
One day you'll find you're walking lonely
Baby I never meant to hurt you
Sometimes the best intentions
Still don't make things right
Like my past they think they own me
In dreams and dark corners they surround me
Till I cry I cry
Let me take this time to set the record straight
Let me take this time to take it all back
Let me take this time to tell you how I felt
Let me take this time to try and make it right
But you can walk away
Be all alone
Spend all your time
Thinking about the way things used to be
If love feels right
You work it out
You don't give it up
Baby
Anybody tell you that
Anybody tell you that
Anybody tell you that
You should take some time maybe sleep on it tonight
You should take some time baby heed the words I said
You should take some time think about your life
You should take some time before you throw it all away
I ain't got the time
To sit here and wait around
But I got the time
If you say I'm what you want
In Tracy Chapman's "Bridges," the singer laments the consequences of burning bridges in life. She warns that the bridges one burns will come back to haunt them one day. They will walk alone, unable to escape the repercussions of their actions. Chapman assures her lover that she never intended to hurt them, but sometimes one's best intentions are not enough to make things right. The ghosts of her past find her and surround her until she can do nothing but cry. She begs her lover to give her a chance to set the record straight, to take it all back, and to make things right. She reminds them that love requires work, that one should not give up without trying, and that throwing everything away will not solve anything.
Chapman's lyrics convey a powerful message about the importance of one's actions and the potential consequences of burning bridges. The metaphor of a bridge burning and haunting one's future is emotionally charged. Chapman's lyrics emphasize that one's past will inevitably catch up to them and result in profound loneliness. She acknowledges that everyone makes mistakes, but one can still try to make it right by taking the time to reflect and seek forgiveness. Ultimately, Chapman stresses the importance of working out problems in relationships rather than giving up.
Line by Line Meaning
All the bridges that you burn
The consequences of your actions will come back to affect you in the future.
Come back one day to haunt you
Your past decisions and actions will return to trouble you.
One day you'll find you're walking lonely
Your past wrongdoings will result in you being alone and unhappy.
Baby I never meant to hurt you
I'm sorry for any pain I have caused you.
Sometimes the best intentions
Even when you mean well, things can still go wrong.
Still don't make things right
The outcome of your actions is not always positive.
But all my ghosts they find me
My past mistakes continue to affect me.
Like my past they think they own me
My past mistakes have a hold on me and continue to influence me.
In dreams and dark corners they surround me
My past mistakes and regrets continue to stay with me, even in my subconscious.
Till I cry I cry
My past continues to make me upset and emotional.
Let me take this time to set the record straight
Let me clarify my intentions and actions.
Let me take this time to take it all back
If I could, I would undo the wrong I have done and take back my actions.
Let me take this time to tell you how I felt
I want to explain how I was feeling at the time and what led to my actions.
Let me take this time to try and make it right
I want to make amends for my past actions and make things right between us.
But you can walk away
You have the option to leave if you choose.
Be all alone
You will be alone if you choose to leave.
Spend all your time
You will be consumed by thoughts of the past if you leave.
Thinking about the way things used to be
You will constantly reflect on the past and what could have been.
If love feels right
If we truly love each other, we should work to make things right.
You work it out
We should work together to fix our relationship.
You don't give it up
We should not give up on our love for each other.
Baby
My term of endearment towards you.
Anybody tell you that
Has anybody ever told you that.
You should take some time maybe sleep on it tonight
You should take some time to think things over, perhaps by sleeping on it tonight.
You should take some time baby heed the words I said
You should take my words seriously and take some time to reflect on them.
You should take some time think about your life
Take some time to consider your life and where you want it to go.
You should take some time before you throw it all away
Take some time to consider the consequences of your actions before walking away from our relationship.
I ain't got the time
I don't have unlimited time for you to make a decision.
To sit here and wait around
I can't wait for you forever.
But I got the time
But I do have some time.
If you say I'm what you want
If you tell me that you want to stay together, I'll wait for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind