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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If these are things
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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Dreams are made of
Why don't I dream
Anymore
I've tried to tell myself
Nothing's changed my dear
But I look around me
And think maybe that's not so
And wake up with cold sweat
Coming through my pores
Why don't I dream anymore
I'm in the garden
All the trees bear fruit
I have to pick them before they fall
I finally grab one
I hold it in my hand
I open it up
It's rotten to the core
Why don't I dream anymore
If these are the things that
Dreams are made of
Why don't I dream
Anymore
We lose our patience
Lose our trust
Yes we lose our innocence
To forget our sorrow and hide our pain
We lose old memories
But dreams are what life's worth living for
I wish I could dream
Once more
I'm in the garden
All the trees bear fruit
I have to pick them before they fall
I finally grab one
I hold it in my hand
I open it up
It's rotten to the core
Why don't I dream anymore
If these are the things that
Dreams are made of
Why don't I dream anymore
I've tried to tell myself
It's all for the best my dear
But I look around me and think
Maybe that's not so
I only have nightmares
Wake up in a cold sweat
Have I become as corrupt
As all I abhor
I'm in the garden
All the trees bear fruit
I have to pick them before they fall
I finally grab one
I hold it in my hand
I open it up
It's rotten to the core
Why don't I dream anymore
If these are the things that
Dreams are made of
If these are the things that
Dreams are made of
If these are the things that
Dreams are made of
I don't want anymore
The lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "If These Are Things" highlight the main theme of the song, which is centered on the loss of hope and innocence. The song presents a poignant story of the loss of dreams and the consequences of giving up on one's aspirations. Chapman describes a world where dreams are unrealized, and nightmares are the only reality. She laments the loss of herself, as she has become corrupted, no longer believing in the goodness of the world.
The questions posed by the singer are reflective, and the use of the metaphor - the garden bearing fruit - brings home the idea of the loss of something beautiful, natural, and unspoiled. The idea of picking the fruit before it falls suggests a sense of haste, an urgency in trying to grasp something that is slipping from the grasp. However, the realization that the fruit is rotten, further emphasizes the loss of something once beautiful, now spoiled.
In conclusion, "If These Are Things" is a deeply emotional song that explores the loss of innocence and hope. Chapman's poetic lyrics highlight the consequences of not pursuing one's dreams and aspirations - a world where nightmares reign, and dreams are nothing more than a distant memory.
Line by Line Meaning
If these are the things that Dreams are made of
These things, if they are what make dreams so special and significant
Why don't I dream Anymore
I cannot understand why I have stopped having dreams when they used to be so important and significant to me
I've tried to tell myself Nothing's changed my dear
I convinced myself that everything is okay, and nothing has changed despite my inability to dream anymore
But I look around me And think maybe that's not so
However, when I look at my life, I realize that things might not be as good as I thought
I only have nightmares And wake up with cold sweat Coming through my pores
The sleep I have is filled with bad dreams and causes me to wake up sweating and afraid
I'm in the garden All the trees bear fruit
I am outside in a beautiful garden where all the trees are producing beautiful fruit
I have to pick them before they fall I finally grab one
It is my responsibility to harvest the fruit before it falls, and I finally manage to pick one
I hold it in my hand I open it up
Once I have picked the fruit, I hold it in my hand and open it up to see what is inside
It's rotten to the core Why don't I dream anymore
Unfortunately, the fruit is spoiled and rotten inside, causing me to question why I do not dream anymore when everything in my life seems rotten as well.
We lose our patience Lose our trust Yes we lose our innocence
Throughout life, we lose many things like our patience, our trust, and much of our innocence
To forget our sorrow and hide our pain We lose old memories But dreams are what life's worth living for
We try to forget our sadness and pain by losing some of our memories, but the only things that make life worth living are our dreams
I wish I could dream Once more
I desperately wish to be able to dream once again
If these are the things that Dreams are made of Why don't I dream Anymore
I am still questioning why I am unable to dream when dreams are supposed to be made of such significant things
I've tried to tell myself It's all for the best my dear
I keep reminding myself that not being able to dream is probably for the best
But I look around me and think Maybe that's not so
However, when I take a good look at my life, I realize that it might not be the best for me to stop dreaming
Have I become as corrupt As all I abhor
I start asking myself if I have become just as corrupt as all the things I hate the most
If these are the things that Dreams are made of If these are the things that Dreams are made of If these are the things that Dreams are made of
I keep repeating to myself about how precious and valuable dreams are
I don't want anymore
But despite that, I no longer want to have dreams anymore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Chapman, Tracy L
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind