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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Love's Proof
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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Try to forget her
In your heart
You know that she'll never
Love you love you love you
I want you
Try to forget her
Or write you a letter
Of love love love's proof
I want you
Try to forget her
Give her time
And you'll wait forever
For love love love's proof
It's not in the stars
It's all in the proof
The chances the odds
The one you love will love
And fall for you
And fall for you
I want you
Try to forget her
You think she's good
I'll be better
And love you love you love you
The lyrics to Tracy Chapman's "Love's Proof" seem to be an expression of someone's desire to be with another person who is currently in love with someone else. The singer is urging the person they're interested in to forget about their current partner, insisting that there is no chance of that person ever returning their love. Instead, the singer offers themselves as a better choice, someone who will love the person deeply and without reservation.
The repeated refrain of "love you love you love you" underscores the intensity of the singer's feelings, while the line "It's not in the stars, it's all in the proof" suggests that the singer believes that love is something that can be manifested and confirmed through actions, rather than being predetermined by fate. The thought that "the chances the odds" of someone reciprocating love can be influenced by one's own efforts is a hopeful one, implying that love is not entirely beyond our control.
Overall, "Love's Proof" is a poignant and relatable song that speaks to the universal human desire for love and the hope that it can be achieved through perseverance and personal effort.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you
The singer desires the listener's affection
Try to forget her
The singer advises the listener to move on from an unrequited love interest
In your heart
The singer acknowledges the listener's existing attachment to the aforementioned love interest
You know that she'll never
The artist informs the listener that their love interest will not reciprocate their feelings
Love you love you love you
The artist reiterates their desire for the listener's love
She won't call
The singer assures the listener that their love interest will not reach out to them
Or write you a letter
The singer emphasizes the distance between the listener and their love interest
Of love love love's proof
The artist implies that concrete evidence of love is absent in this situation
Give her time
The artist encourages the listener to give their love interest space
And you'll wait forever
The artist suggests that the listener's patience will be exhausted eventually
For love love love's proof
The singer emphasizes again that evidence of love is lacking
It's not in the stars
The artist suggests that fate or divine intervention does not determine romantic success
It's all in the proof
The singer asserts that concrete evidence is necessary for successful romantic pursuits
The chances the odds
The singer acknowledges that the success of romantic endeavors requires both probability and luck
The one you love will love
The singer states that the listener may find someone who reciprocates their love
And fall for you
The artist emphasizes that the listener's romantic interests may reciprocate their love
You think she's good
The artist acknowledges the listener's opinion of their prior romantic interest
I'll be better
The singer asserts that they can offer a superior romantic experience to the listener
And love you love you love you
The singer reiterates their desire for the listener's love
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