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
I Did It All
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Call me one
Pour a round for me and my friends
Cape Cod Sea Breeze, Long Island Ice Teas
I won't go there or drink it if you paid me
When they come to waylay me
When they close in for the capture
I did it all
For the love and the laughter
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
Slept in late
Stayed up for days
Partied hard
Lived my twenties in haze
Smoked second-hand in crowded bars
With the A-list of B-list movie stars
When they come to arrest me
Pat me down and undress me
I'll confess without miranda
Strike a pose for the tabloid cameras
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
I didn't ask permission
I did it all
What kind of life
Is not an exhibition
I did it all
Crash and burn
And then you know you're living
I did it all
Some pain a few tears after
I did it all
To the last line of the final chapter
I did it all
I did it all
My heat is a wound that festers
Seduced my share in silk and polyester
Oh my great loves
And my few losses
I'll tell it all
When my little black book is published
When they come to interview me
For my made for TV movie
Say I'm the bitch who was a bastard
Who did it all for the love and laughter
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
Tracy Chapman’s song “I Did It All” is a powerful testament to a life lived to the fullest without regrets. She talks about indulging in various drinks from cosmopolitans to Long Island ice teas with her friends. While she is not willing to drink Cape Cod Sea Breeze, she is willing to take responsibility for everything she has done. The singer narrates how she slept late, partied hard, and lived her twenties in a blur of haziness. She even smoked second-hand in crowded bars with B-list movie stars.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is not shy about her actions in life, saying she did everything she did for the love and laughter, and that she did it all for herself. She doesn't apologize for it or blame anyone else for it. When they come to arrest her or interview her for a made-for-TV movie, she plans to confess without any hesitation. In the end, she never wondered if she should have asked permission, lived her life like an exhibition, crashed and burned a few times, and even shed a few tears. She doesn't regret any of it, and, in fact, is proud of herself for doing it all, to the last line of the final chapter.
The song is both a celebration of the freedom of youth and a warning to embrace life to the fullest. Tracy Chapman, with her straightforward yet intense delivery, reminds us that we must look at ourselves without judgment or regret to truly live. We must allow ourselves to make mistakes and learn from them. The song tells us that we should always embrace our lives, live it without any apprehension, and be unapologetically true to ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
A Cosmopolitan, a Manhattan
Call me one
I enjoy high-class drinks like a Cosmopolitan and Manhattan, and therefore, you can refer to me as someone classy and sophisticated.
Pour a round for me and my friends
Cape Cod Sea Breeze, Long Island Ice Teas
I won't go there or drink it if you paid me
Please pour a round of drinks for me and my friends, but I prefer drinks like Cape Cod Sea Breeze and Long Island Iced Teas - I wouldn't go for anything else or change my mind even if you offered me money.
When they come to waylay me
When they close in for the capture
I did it all
I did it all
For the love and the laughter
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
Even when people try to catch me, and the end is near, I can say with confidence that I lived my life to the fullest, did everything I wanted to, and will gladly face whatever comes my way.
Slept in late
Stayed up for days
Partied hard
Lived my twenties in haze
Smoked second-hand in crowded bars
With the A-list of B-list movie stars
I slept late and stayed up for days, partied hard, and spent my twenties living in a fog. I smoked second-hand in crowded bars with famous actors who weren't top tier.
When they come to arrest me
Pat me down and undress me
I'll confess without miranda
Strike a pose for the tabloid cameras
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
Even if they arrest me and search me, I would confess willingly without my Miranda rights. I'd pose for the cameras of the gossip magazines and admit that I did everything that's been said about me.
I did it all
I didn't ask permission
I did it all
What kind of life
Is not an exhibition
I did it all
Crash and burn
And then you know you're living
I did it all
Some pain a few tears after
I did it all
To the last line of the final chapter
I did it all
I did it all
I didn't ask anyone for permission, but did everything I wanted to. It's not a fulfilling life if it's not on display. I lived my life on the edge and had some hard falls, but that's how I knew I was alive. Even if it caused me pain or heartache, I lived through it all till the very end.
My heat is a wound that festers
Seduced my share in silk and polyester
Oh my great loves
And my few losses
I'll tell it all
When my little black book is published
My heart is heavy with regret, and I regret getting seduced by the expensive things in life made from silk and polyester. I'll reveal all of my great loves and a few defeats in my life when my book of secrets is published.
When they come to interview me
For my made for TV movie
Say I'm the bitch who was a bastard
Who did it all for the love and laughter
I did it all
I did it all
I did it all
If ever they interview me for a movie made about me, they'll describe me as an unpleasant person who lived life to the fullest never caring about the consequences. Everything I ever did was for the love of life, even if it made me look like a fool in the end.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind