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
Give Me One Reason
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
Said I don't want to leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
Baby, I got your number
But you know that I called you
I called too many times
You can call me baby, you can call me anytime
But you got to call me
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turning)
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turning)
Said I don't want to leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
I don't want no one to squeeze me
They might take away my life
I don't want no one to squeeze me
They might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me
Oh, and rock me through the night
This youthful heart can love you
Yes, and give you what you need
I said, this youthful heart can love you
Oh, and give you what you need
But I'm too old to go chasing you around
Wasting my precious energy
Give me one reason to stay here
Yes, and I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turning)
Give me one reason to stay here
Oh, and I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turning)
Said I don't want to leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
Baby, just give me one reason
Oh, give me just one reason why
Baby, just give me one reason
Oh, give me just one reason why I should stay
Said, I told you that I loved you
And there ain't no more to say
Tracy Chapman's “Give Me One Reason” is a captivating blues/rock melody that tells the story of a woman who is indecisive about leaving her partner. She is seeking a reason to stay in the relationship, but she is prepared to turn around and walk away if she doesn't find one. The song is loaded with vocal and instrumental highlights that deliver a beautiful musical experience.
The first verse repeats the song's title twice, with Chapman promising to return if she is given a cause to stay. However, she throws a twist into the song when she admits she doesn't want to leave him lonely, and she needs him to persuade her to stay. The chorus is simple and catchy, an earworm that is hard to shake once you've heard it.
The second verse talks about how the woman has the man's number, but he also has hers, and she has called him many times. Though he can call her anytime, it's down to him to give her a reason to stay, and not leave her lonely. The song's third verse deals with the woman's fear of being put under pressure from those who want to use her by squeezing her consequences. She just wants someone to hold and rock her through the night.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me one reason to stay here
I am considering leaving you and need a solid reason to stay.
And I'll turn right back around
If you give me a good reason to stay, I will stay without hesitation.
Said I don't wanna leave you lonely
I don't want to hurt you or leave you alone, so you need to convince me to stay.
You got to make me change my mind
It's up to you to change my decision to leave and keep me by giving me a reason to stay.
Baby, I got your number, oh, and I know that you got mine
We have each other's contact information, so we can communicate whenever we want.
But you know that I called you, I called too many times
I've contacted you multiple times, and it might be becoming too much for you.
You can call me baby, you can call me anytime
You're welcome to contact me whenever you want and use affectionate language with me.
You got to call me
It's important that you initiate communication with me, too.
I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I don't want anyone to suffocate or harm me to the point of causing my death.
I just want someone to hold me, oh, and rock me through the night
I want someone to comfort me and hold me close while I sleep.
This youthful heart can love you, yes, and give you what you need
I'm young and have a lot of love and affection to offer you, and I can fulfill your emotional needs.
But I'm too old to go chasing you around
I'm not interested in playing games or chasing after you if you're not interested in me.
Wasting my precious energy
I don't want to spend time and energy pursuing someone who doesn't want me back.
Baby just give me one reason, give me just one reason why
Once again, I need one solid reason to stay with you.
I should stay
I want to stay with you, but you need to convince me that it's worth it.
Said I told you that I loved you
I've already expressed my love to you, so it's up to you to make a move and show me why I should stay.
And there ain't no more to say
I've said what I needed to say, and now it's your turn to respond.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tracy L Chapman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leokimvideo
An amazing artists, sadly seriously underrated
@MetteC5
Underrated by whom? She's perfectly appreciated by music aficionados.
@Aliera29
@@MetteC5 Yeah. I love her since I first heard her.
@MetteC5
@@Aliera29 exactly
@Intensi0ns
@@MetteC5 46m views "seriously underrated bro" lol
@MetteC5
@@Intensi0ns Tracy's far beyond pop(ular) music: her value is appreciated in depth and not in width (views, lmfao).
@user-je1sf6pc6q
She is GOLD. So many hits and the young folk are just now finding out.
@brianhoward5057
I've seen so many comments, "Who's that at the grammy's singing with Luke Combs?" Makes my heart hurt to know we've failed this generation.
@nirvana_veggiegirl
@@brianhoward5057It’s sad this generation has such bad taste in music.
@syd.a.m
@@brianhoward5057On the other hand, the Grammy performance introduced a whole new generation to Tracy Chapman. I'd call that a win by any name.