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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Goodbye
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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It's all in a day
One day in a life
It's all in the one word
The one word is goodbye
For me
It's all in what you say
It's all in the words
From the lips that once touched mine with a sigh
Goodbye
For you
It's all in your face
The laugh and worry lines
It's all in the one word
You hope will make you young again
Goodbye
It's all in the play
Someone speaks the line
It's all in the one word
That stops and steals the time
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
For me
It's all in a day
It's the part in life
When it's all in the words
To fate and circumstance resigned
Goodbye
Tracy Chapman's "Goodbye" is a song about the pain of letting go. The lyrics speak to the different experiences of two people who are facing the end of a relationship. For one, saying goodbye is just another day in life, but for the other, it is a moment that will change everything. The song is about how difficult it is to come to terms with the fact that something you once believed in is over.
The first verse is about how for one person (presumably the one who is leaving), saying goodbye is just a simple word that represents the end of their time together. But for the other person (presumably the one being left behind), it's everything. The second verse is about how the person who is leaving may try to be kind, but the words they speak will ultimately be what defines the end of their relationship. The third verse speaks to how the person who is leaving is trying to regain their youth by saying goodbye, while the final verse highlights how for the person being left behind, saying goodbye is a moment when they must resign themselves to fate and circumstance.
Overall, "Goodbye" is a song that is designed to evoke feelings of deep sadness and loss, but it also manages to be unexpectedly empowering. By acknowledging the pain of letting go, the song also suggests that there is a way forward, even after everything has fallen apart.
Line by Line Meaning
For you
Addressing someone else
It's all in a day
It's something routine for you
One day in a life
A normal, everyday occurrence
It's all in the one word
The meaning lies in one word
The one word is goodbye
The word that carries the weight is goodbye
For me
Addressing oneself
It's all in what you say
The power is in the words you choose
Though you've tried to be kind
Despite trying to be gentle
It's all in the words
The weight lies in the spoken language
From the lips that once touched mine with a sigh
The same lips that once did something affectionate, now say the hard word goodbye
Goodbye
The hard word that's been said
For you
Addressing someone else again
It's all in your face
Reading emotions from your expressions
The laugh and worry lines
The lines on someone's face that form based on their emotions and actions
You hope will make you young again
The hope of a fresh start, to recreate the past
It's all in the play
Reflecting on the overall situation
Someone speaks the line
Someone has to say the hard word
That stops and steals the time
It's a moment that stops time
Goodbye
The hard word that's been said
Goodbye
The hard word that's been said
Goodbye
The hard word that's been said
For me
Addressing oneself again
It's all in a day
It's just another day
It's the part in life
It's a moment in life
When it's all in the words
When the weight is in the spoken language
To fate and circumstance resigned
It's just accepting what life brings
Goodbye
The hard word that's been said
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NATHAN CHAPMAN, JASON WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind