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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Let It Rain
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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As I walk these streets unknown
To no one named
Not even myself
When I'm low
Give me hope
That help is coming
Give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Let it go
No mother no father no home
Forget as all others
Have forgotten
When I'm alone
But give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Let it come
Love that lifts me up
Pain that brings me down
Everything I'd ever want and don't
When I'm not strong
But give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Let it rain
Let it flood these streets and wash me away
To where it makes no difference who I am
Or what the future holds
When I don't know
But give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Give me hope
That help is coming
When I need it most
Tracy Chapman's Let It Rain is a heartfelt plea for hope and comfort in times of desolation and loneliness. The verses are laced with imagery of being lost and unknown, with no home or family, feelings of emptiness and helplessness that we all experience at times. The song is a request to the universe to bring forth relief and solace in ways that may seem unusual or unexpected. The phrase "Let it Rain" is repeated throughout the song, symbolizing the singer's desire for a spiritual cleansing, a purging of all the negative emotions and experiences weighing her down.
The lyrics also display the singer's willingness to embrace all the aspects of life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, with an eagerness to try and understand them. The line "Love that lifts me up, pain that brings me down" conveys the idea that we need both the good and the bad in equal measure to be fully human - to experience joy and appreciation, we need to endure heartbreak and sadness. The song's final verse sees the singer surrendering herself to the power of nature, asking to be swept away where "it makes no difference who I am or what the future holds." The singer is embracing the unknown and accepting the world, outcomes, and situations as they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Let it rain
I am surrendering and allowing the troubles to wash over me.
As I walk these streets unknown
I feel lost and out of place as I travel through my life's journey.
To no one named
I am a stranger in a foreign land, devoid of identity and community.
Not even myself
I am unsure of who I am and what defines me.
When I'm low
In times of emotional distress, I feel helpless and alone.
Give me hope
I desire a source of strength to pull me up from my despair.
That help is coming
I need assurance that assistance will arrive to alleviate my pain.
When I need it most
I require support during my most vulnerable moments.
Let it go
I am attempting to release the past and the pain associated with it.
No mother no father no home
I lack the comfort and sanctuary of family and a place to belong.
Forget as all others
I want to erase my pain from my memory like everyone else does.
Have forgotten
The world has moved on and disregarded my suffering.
When I'm alone
My isolation amplifies my pain and fear.
Let it come
I am willing to accept and experience all that life has to offer, good or bad.
Love that lifts me up
The affection of others restores my sense of worth and purpose.
Pain that brings me down
Trauma and heartbreak take a toll on my mental and emotional health.
Everything I'd ever want and don't
I desire things that are unattainable, unrealistic, or ultimately damaging to me.
When I'm not strong
My weakness and vulnerability make me susceptible to emotional pain and stress.
Let it flood these streets and wash me away
I am willing to be consumed by the overwhelming flood of my emotions and experiences.
To where it makes no difference who I am
I crave to be stripped of my identity and the burden of expectations.
Or what the future holds
I am feeling apprehensive and apprehensive about the unknown and the uncontrollable.
When I don't know
When uncertainty and ambiguity are overwhelming me.
That help is coming
I cling onto the hope that someone, somewhere, will come to my aid.
When I need it most
When I am at my weakest and most vulnerable, struggling to cope.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TRACY CHAPMAN, TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind